As 'Zombie Deer Disease' Spreads In US, 2 Deers Test Positive In Virginia

Two white-tailed deer inside Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia recently tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease found in deer and similar species. This marks the first CWD-positive detection for a national park in West Virginia, the National Park Service (NPS) said. 

According to an NPS press release, the two deer which tested positive were killed during a routine population reduction effort on the Park Service property.  Deer at the nearby Antietam and Monocacy battlefield parks, both on the Maryland side of the Potomac River, were also found with CWD recently.

The NPS said Harpers Ferry and other national parks reduce deer populations to protect and restore native plants and preserve historic landscapes. 

The Park Service periodically conducts hunts in some parks to keep the deer population under control. "Until this year, all results for these parks had been negative (for CWD)," the press release said.

What is Zombie Deer Disease?

Chronic wasting disease, also known as 'zombie deer disease', is the illness that leaves animals confused and drooling, It was first detected in Yellowstone National Park in November last year. 

The disease is caused by misfolded proteins - when proteins do not fold into the correct shape - known as prions. After infection, prions travel throughout the central nervous system, leaving prion deposits in brain tissues and organs. The deer affected by it are left drooling, stumbling, lethargic and with a blank stare, due to which the infection has been given the name "zombie deer disease".

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it may take over a year for symptoms in the deer to develop. It usually starts with the deer drastically losing weight, stumbling around, and losing all energy. At present, CWD does not have any cure or vaccine.

No known case of CWD in humans has ever been recorded, according to Fox News. However, some studies have suggested chronic wasting disease is a risk to monkeys that eat infected animal meat or come in contact with infected animal brains or bodily fluids. 

Experts have labelled CWD as a ''slow-moving disaster'' and are strongly advising governments to prepare for the likelihood of its transmission to humans.