The contagious, fatal illness in deer, elk and moose must be taken seriously, say experts as it takes hold in the US and reaches other countries. While it has not infected humans yet, the risk is growing

The risk of a CWD spillover event is growing, the panel of experts say, and the risk is higher in states where big game hunting for the table remains a tradition. In a survey of US residents by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% said they had hunted deer or elk, and more than 60% said they had eaten venison or elk mea

The movement of meat around the country also raises concerns of environmental contamination. CWD is not caused by bacteria or a virus, but by “prions”: abnormal, transmissible pathogenic agents that are difficult to destroy.

Today, as CWD spreads inexorably to more deer and elk, more people – probably tens of thousands each year – are consuming infected venison,

Well, that was a torrid read

Better surveillance to identify disease in people and game animals is more urgent than ever, experts say. Osterholm says the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to public health funding and research, and the US’s withdrawal from international institutions, such as the World Health Organization, could not be happening at a worse time.

I don’t know, religious revelations nutters might be happy /s

    • shrugs@lemmy.world
      1·
      1 hour ago

      This has nothing to do with deer. They are, as much as cows, just the most prevalent species in which prions are found. Prions don’t discriminate and don’t care for your type. I bet they are even able to kill a tardigrade or cockroach

      Edit: correction, I read up on it, prions only affect brain cells and function.

      Damn: Trump and Elon are safe badummtzz