Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has plagued North American deer herds since its inception. detected in a captive deer facility in Wyoming in 1967. In the decades since, there has never been a documented, confirmed case of a consistently fatal neurological disease crossing the species barrier from deer to humans. According to a new studypublished last week in the journal Neurology, according to which the long-discussed and often feared transmission of CWD to humans could have occurred in 2022.
The title of the study alone is enough to perk up the ears of anyone who has followed the CWD epidemic over the years. “Two hunters from the same lodge suffering from sporadic CJD”, we can read. “Is chronic wasting disease to blame? »
The authors go on to highlight “a cluster of cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) after exposure to deer infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD)”. These results, they say, “suggest potential transmission of the prion from CWD-infected deer to humans.”
CJD is best known for its association with mad cow disease. Like CWD, mad cow disease is spread in cows by misfolded proteins called prions. And like CWD, it causes a cascade of brain diseases that ultimately lead to the death of cattle unlucky enough to contract it. Mad cow disease has been shown to be transmitted to humans through the consumption of infected beef. When the disease occurs in humans, it is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
The recent article describes an anonymous hunter who contracted CJD after regularly consuming game from deer infected with the chronic wasting disease. “In 2022, a 72-year-old man who had previously consumed meat from a CWD-infected deer population presented with rapid confusion and aggression,” it reads.
These are classic symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. “Despite aggressive symptomatic treatment of seizures and agitation, the patient’s condition deteriorated and he died within a month of initial presentation,” the study continues. “The diagnosis was confirmed postmortem as sporadic CJD.”
Given the history of consumption of CWD-infected deer meat, the authors suggest “possible further transmission from animals to humans.” They also studied the case of one of the hunting friends who ate game from the same deer population. This person also recently died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, according to the authors.
The neurology study does not reveal where the individuals who contracted CJD lived and hunted, but The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that CWD has been detected in 32 US states to date, with the most recent case being discovered in Kentucky last fall. The three states with the greatest distribution of CWD-infected deer by county are Kansas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The disease is also prevalent in Canadian deer herds.
Related: Kentucky deer tests positive for first known case of chronic wasting disease in state
The authors of the April 9 study are quick to point out that the causal link for recent cases of CJD among hunters has not yet been proven. But their findings highlight the serious threats of eating CWD-infected meat and the importance of having deer meat tested for CWD by your state fish and game agency whenever possible.
“Further investigation into the potential risks of consuming CWD-infected deer and its implications for public health,” the study concludes. “Further monitoring and research are essential to better understand this possible association.”
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