Do you know that there is a disease called Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)? This disease only affects the deer family, like deer, elk, and reindeer. Besides that, sika deer and moose can also suffer from this disease.
This disease has been identified in North America, the United States, Norway, Canada, and even South Korea. This disease is not a new find. It has been discovered since the late 60s in a captive deer in a Colorado research facility. In 1981, a wild deer suffered from the disease. Furthermore, in the 90s, there is a report of the disease affecting another deer family. In the year 2000, the case of CWD has been rising since.
Among the deer family, the occurrence of this disease is mainly found in captive deer. Nevertheless, other deer families such as free-ranging deer and elk still suffer from CWD, but the case is lower.
Transmission of the disease
CWD is transmitted through body fluids like saliva, blood, urine, and feces. This disease can spread very quickly among the deer family and it can stay for a very long time. Researchers believe that even after a deer who is suffering from CWD dies, the disease will remain there.
The symptoms of the disease
The symptoms of CWD in the deer family are drastic weight loss, stumbling, and listlessness. Besides that, they will suffer from neurologic symptoms. There is no treatment or vaccine for this disease.
Humans do not need to worry as there are no cases of humans getting affected by CWD. Nevertheless, certain studies stated that non-human primates that eat CWD-infected animals are at risk of possessing CWD. This study has become a concern to people including World Health Organization (WHO). The organization suggests avoiding letting the animals that are capable of suffering from CWD enter the human food chain.
Prevention of the disease
If CWD can infect people, mostly it would be through eating the infected deer or its family’s meat. However, to be safe, make sure:
1) To no shoot, handle, or eat meat from a sick-looking deer, elk, and moose.
2) When handling a deer, wear latex or rubber gloves.
3) Minimize handling of the animal’s organs, especially the brain and cord tissue.
4) Avoid using household knives.
5) Have the deer checked to see if it suffers from CWD.
That is a little bit of information about the disease which threatens the deer family’s life.