2023-12-26 20:55:24
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), commonly known aszombie deer disease“, arouses great concern in the United States regarding the possibility of transmission to humans. This fear is reminiscent of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, where a disease once considered exclusively animal crossed the species barrier to affect thehumanity.
In this context, the rapid spread of CWD among deer in North America and Europe is becoming a major concern for health authorities, including the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
First identified in the 1950s, CWD causes progressive degeneration of the central nervous system in deer, elk, reindeer and moose. Symptoms include thinness, aggression, trembling, stumbling, excessive saliva production, and general listlessness, inevitably leading to death.
Although this disease has long been considered confined to animals, the increase in cases and their increased geographic dispersion raise questions about the risk of transmission to humans, particularly through consumption of contaminated meat.
CWD expert Dr Cory Anderson recently shared his concerns in an interview with the Guardian. He stressed that the disease is “ invariably fatal, incurable and highly contagious » in deer. As of November 2023, cases of CWD have been reported in 31 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. Even more alarmingly, cases have also been observed in Norway, Finland, Sweden and South Korea. This rapid and international spread makes the disease particularly formidable.
Health authorities, aware of the potential danger, are warning of possible zoonosis, a phenomenon where an infectious animal disease is transmitted to humans. The situation is reminiscent of the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), better known as “mad cow disease”, which managed to infect humans. Dr Anderson stressed the importance of being prepared for such an eventuality, although no cases of transmission to humans have been reported so far, calling on people in contact with animals to exercise caution. caution.
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