Earlier this year, an infectious disease expert warned that a deadly disease found in deer could infect humans in the near future.

Often referred to as “zombie deer” disease because of the symptoms, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been reported in at least 26 states in the continental United States and in four provinces in Canada. In addition, CWD has been reported in reindeer and/or moose in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and a small number of imported cases have been reported in South Korea. The disease has also been found in farmed deer and elk.

More here:
https://www.theorganicprepper....-government-warning/

From what I have learned, the European response is the best that we know of.

https://www.sciencemag.org/new...ctious-brain-disease

A good article, thanks.
I have been interested in prion diseases for many years and as I recall, the time I spent in the UK during a particular period is why I couldn’t give blood after the danger of “mad cow” disease was recognized.

But just as many people ridicule the warnings about other diseases, we can always expect the, “I’ve been eating venison and elk meat for years and I’m perfectly healthy,” comments as if they proved that CWD was nothing for humans to worry about.

We've been keeping a close eye on this up here in Maine.
We had numerous cases of it in Moose and Deer (I've personally seen a deer case, called it into the wardens who then dispatched it).

Supposedly the meat is edible if you take care not to damage the spine or entrails, but I won't risk it myelf.

At the risk of sounding incautious, there has not been a single case of CWD transfer to humans. Not one. When the first, single case appears, then I will spend time worrying about it. The chance of being patient Zero is astronomically low.

If at some point the prions jump the species barrier and humans can become infected and subsequently ill, we will be in more trouble than just hunters contracting the disease. Studies show that prions can persist in the environment outside of hosts for long periods of time. Prions are so hard to destroy that cooking them until they become inert destroys the food stuff it inhabits long before the prions. My point is that if the prions jump the barrier, nobody will be safe eating anything grown/raised/created outside of a lab. Any food source whatsoever that has direct contact with the outdoor environment would be suspect.

At the moment, I'm more concerned about the things out there that can currently hurt or kill me. I will follow the research, take only healthy animals (I have yet to see one that has the physical symptoms) take care to clean animals carefully, and avoid resivoir tissues, but I'm not quite ready to panic just yet.

http://www.virology.ws/2015/03...-a-threat-to-humans/

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks just issued some new guidelines regarding CWD. So far, there are only a few counties in the SW corner of the state that have reported CWD.

CWD just entered the southern Yoop from Wisconsin not too long ago.

Prions scare the hell out of me.

There's no treatment, no prevention, no immunization. If it crosses over to infecting humans, it could be really bad.

Don't forget your umbrella...

quote:

CWD just entered the southern Yoop from Wisconsin not too long ago.

Sorry about that. It wasn't intentional.

quote:

Originally posted by whanson_wi:

quote:

CWD just entered the southern Yoop from Wisconsin not too long ago.

Sorry about that. It wasn't intentional.

Of course you'd say that.

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:
We've been keeping a close eye on this up here in Maine.
Supposedly the meat is edible if you take care not to damage the spine or entrails, but I won't risk it myelf.

Same here in Missouri.
The Mo department of Conservation does a pretty good job tracking it.
I wouldn't knowingly eat the meat of an infected animal but I'm not going to stop deer hunting.
So far I haven't personally seen it.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Don't forget your umbrella...

Will that really protect me from the falling sky?

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Don't forget your umbrella...

Will that really protect me from the falling sky?

Only if it is manufactured by the Umbrella Corporation.

Several confirmations of CWD in the county I hunt in and surrounding counties. The TWRA has basically called open season on deer removing many prior restrictions and extending the hunting season. They want a large sample size to test and to try and help stop the spread.