Aspect

Details

Definition

Chronic wasting disease, sometimes called zombie deer disease, is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting deer.

It is a prion disease that affects deer, elk, moose, and other members of the cervid family. It is a fatal neurological disease with no known cure.

First Identified

CWD was first identified in a captive deer facility in Colorado, USA (1960s) and recognized as a prion disease in 1980.

Cause

Caused by misfolded proteins called prions that trigger normal brain proteins to misfold, leading to brain damage and ultimately death.

Transmission

Prions are transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or indirectly through contaminated environments (e.g., soil, water).

Symptoms

Includes drastic weight loss, lack of coordination, drooling, excessive thirst and urination, listlessness, and behavioral changes like loss of fear of humans.

Affected Species

Currently, there is no evidence of it infecting livestock or humans.

Geographic Spread

North America, also reported in parts of South Korea and Scandinavia.

Diagnosis

CWD is diagnosed post-mortem.

Impact on Population

Can lead to population declines in affected species, disrupts ecosystems, and poses a threat to hunting economies reliant on healthy wildlife populations.

Human Health Concerns

Some experts caution against consuming infected meat due to the similarity to other prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Prevention

Measures include containment and monitoring of wild and captive deer populations, avoiding transportation of infected animals, & educating hunters about safe handling & testing of meat.

Treatment

Currently, there is no cure or vaccine for CWD.

Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing placental mammals belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q:Consider the following statements in reference to deers:

1. Africa has only one native deer species.

2. Deer constitute the most diverse family of artiodactyla.

Select the incorrect statements using the codes given below:

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: b

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Deer are widely distributed, with indigenous representatives in all continents except Antarctica and Australia, though Africa has only one native deer, the Barbary stag, a subspecies of red deer that is confined to the Atlas Mountains.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Deer constitute the second most diverse family of artiodactyla after bovids.  Artiodactyl is any member of the mammalian order Artiodactyla, or even-toed ungulates, which includes pigs, peccaries, hippopotamuses, camels, chevrotains, deer, giraffes, pronghorn, antelopes, sheep, goats, and cattle.