New Concern Over Chronic Wasting Disease

New research shows the infectious material believed to cause Chronic Wasting Disease can be found in the meat of infected deer. Previously, it was thought that only the brain and central nervous system areas of deer or elk carried the fatal disease. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:

Transcript

New research shows the infectious material believed to cause Chronic
Wasting Disease can be found in the meat of infected animals.
Previously, it was thought that only the brain and central nervous system
areas of deer or elk carried the fatal disease. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:


The authors of the study at the University of Kentucky say anyone
handling or eating deer infected with CWD may be inadvertently
exposed to the disease.


The research shows that for the first time the mutated proteins – called
prions – can be present in deer muscle.


Officials in states with CWD in wild deer say their message to hunters
won’t change:


Get deer tested for CWD, and don’t eat deer that test positive.


Jim Kazmierczak is Wisconsin’s State Public Health veterinarian.


“What this demonstrates is that the CWD agent does occur in deer
muscle. What it does not address is the question of human
susceptibility to Chronic Wasting Disease.”


Kazmierczak says it’s still unclear how – or if – Chronic Wasting Disease
could be transmitted to humans.


For the GLRC, I’m Christina Shockley.

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