An alarming case report has raised concerns about chronic wasting disease after two hunters developed neurological disorders and died from eating venison possibly infected with “zombie deer disease.” These tragic deaths in 2022 were presented at a recent American Academy of Neurology meeting but did not definitively prove a link between chronic wasting disease in deer and human transmission, according to University of Texas Health Science Center researchers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not reported any cases of chronic wasting disease in humans to date but emphasizes the importance of preventing exposure to the disease. While studies are ongoing to determine the risks of CWD to people, experts have noted similarities between prion diseases like CWD and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a fatal neurological disorder that affects both humans and animals.
Despite the concerns, the CDC has stated that the deaths of the two hunters were attributed to classic CJD rather than a new disorder related to CWD. It is crucial for hunters to take precautions to lower the risk of exposure to chronic wasting disease when hunting deer and elk, following guidelines provided by state health agencies and the CDC.
