Veterinarians on Alert: The Alarming Rise of a Fatal 'Zombie Deer Disease

In a startling development, hunters across North America are unwittingly finding themselves on the front lines of a public health threat due to chronic wasting disease (CWD), a rapidly spreading and always fatal neurological condition affecting deer. Infectious disease experts are raising alarms about the potential risks of this disease, which is caused by misfolded proteins called prions and currently known to infect only members of the cervid family, including elk, deer, reindeer, caribou, and moose.