“Zombie Deer Disease” Founded in Will County

In 24 states including Illinois, “Zombie Deer Disease” also known as the chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been reported as of January, 2019. A total of 17 counties have been affected by the CWD. The counties affected are Boone, Carroll, Dekalb, DuPage, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will and Winnebago.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose. The term “prions” refers to abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found most abundantly in the brain.”

Ways to avoid getting the “Zombie Deer Disease” is by not touching any road kill because it may be affected. Wear latex or rubber gloves when handling a hunted animal and its meat. Always wash your hands and disinfect hunting instruments after using them. According to usatoday.com, “animals infected with CWD might be extremely underweight, stumbling and listless. If you see an animal that appears to be sick, take note of its location and contact wildlife officials.” There are some states that recommend or require hunters have deer or elk tested before eating their meat. Symptoms of infected animals include emaciation, excessive salivation, lack of muscle coordination, difficulty in swallowing, excessive thirst, and excessive urination.

“Chronic wasting disease was first detected in captive deer and other members of the hoofed Cervidae family in the late 1960s in Colorado and wild deer in 1981, and gradually has spread to the Midwest, Southwest and, to a more limited degree, to the East Coast, according to the Plainfield Patch.

This deadly infection is being spread across North America. There are no cases of CWD that have been reported in humans but research suggests it poses a risk to humans. There are currently no vaccines or treatments available for the disease.

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