The Canadian province of British Columbia has announced a plan to address the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) as the virus continues to spread throughout North America.
Authorities in the furthest province to the west have mandated the examination of any deer, moose, elk, or caribou that have been killed on roads this week, following the confirmation of two incidents at the conclusion of January. These two incidents, involving a mule deer and a white-tailed deer, were discovered in the Kootenay region. Additionally, the province has implemented limitations on the transportation and disposal of deer in this vicinity.
The deadly illness is a result of abnormal proteins, called prions, and impacts animals in the cervid group. It enters the host’s brain and nervous system, causing symptoms such as excessive drooling, loss of coordination, lack of energy, and a vacant expression, earning it the nickname “zombie deer disease”. Officials have requested that citizens promptly report any sick cervids in the area.
Chronic wasting disease has been detected in domestic deer herds in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Quebec, as well as among wild deer in Manitoba, in the past. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has also reported three cases in wild moose.
However, a recent verified instance in Yellowstone National Park – the initial one at the renowned conservation area – has raised new worries about the potential danger presented by the illness.
There is disagreement among experts about whether Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) could be transmitted to humans, similar to how mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) was over 40 years ago.
The province’s bulletin stated that there is no definitive proof of the disease being passed to humans and no known cases of humans contracting the disease.
According to Hermann Schätzl, the associate dean of research at the University of Calgary’s veterinary school, previous studies on macaques have indicated that it is possible for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) to be transmitted between primates. In these studies, the primates were given infected brain tissue to simulate the effects of consuming CWD-infected venison over an extended period of time.
According to our experimental models, there is a high probability that CWD can transmit to humans. Has this occurred in the past? There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that a human has developed this prion disease from consuming venison, as stated by the source in the Guardian.
“Is it possible that this will occur in the future? It is highly probable.”
Schätzl expressed concerns about the virus spreading quickly in North America and Scandinavia, as well as the potential for the virus to become more diverse over time.
Is it possible for chronic wasting disease to spread from one human to another? This is a worst-case scenario, similar to the transmission of avian influenza or the leap of Covid to humans.
According to him, a study on macaques intentionally exposed to CWD discovered a higher presence of the virus in the spinal cord compared to the central nervous system. He raised the question of whether this would have been detected if researchers only focused on the usual areas. He believes it would resemble an uncommon illness.
According to Schätzl, the extended period of time for prion diseases to develop means that if a person were to contract it currently, they would likely not experience any symptoms for many years. This poses a significant issue.
Source: theguardian.com
