Zombies have always been a popular topic in the media. There have been numerous movies, games and TV series that utilized zombies as a trope, such as The Walking Dead or The Last of Us. Most people think zombies aren’t real. There’s no way anything like that could exist in real life… Right? Well, if you are afraid of zombies, I have some bad news for you… Chronic Wasting Disease is this brain eating “zombie” illness. It is believed, that CWD is caused by a prion (protein infectious particle). But, don’t worry- it only affects deer, moose and other such animals! Or does it?
There have been no reports about people being infected by the virus, but some animal studies suggest, that CWD can pose a risk to some non-human monkeys, which is a bit concerning since monkeys are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. Therefore, since 1977, chronic wasting disease has been seen as a concern by the World Health Organization. It is recommended not to come in contact with known agents of the illness, like the meat of infected animals. CWD is lethal for animals. There is no cure for the illness, nor is there a vaccine.
The symptoms of chronic wasting disease include overall lack of coordination, extreme salivation, difficulty swallowing, loss of fear of humans, thirst and excessive urination. All of these symptoms are caused by the fact, that this illness basically turns a deer’s brain into mashed potatoes. Chronic wasting disease is neurodegenerative - it destroys nerve cells.
Now, having read all of that, you can clearly see why CWD reaching Yellowstone is very bad. Yellowstone National Park has a diverse ecosystem, which supports a lot of different animals. The chronic wasting disease’s arrival to the park is extremely harmful to its ecosystem since the disease does not only infect an animal, but also the environment around it. The disease can persist in the earth for years and it is resistant to disinfectants, formaldehydes and the like.
So, should you already be panicking and buying all the toilet paper in the shop? No, leave some for me! Jokes aside, you shouldn’t worry yet. Chronic Wasting Disease isn’t contagious to humans. So, if you want to stay safe from CWD, don’t eat deer caught in the wild, that is an overall bad idea either way. The disease isn’t found in every part of the world. At the time of writing, there have been cases reported in North America, Norway and South Korea. So, if you don’t live in any of these countries you shouldn’t worry for now.
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