13 more CWD cases found in NC: What to know about 'zombie deer disease'

Thirteen new cases of Chronic Wasting Disease, known popularly as “zombie deer disease,” have been confirmed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission from deer samples submitted since July 1, 2023.

This bring the total count of positives in N.C. to 24 since the disease was first detected in Yadkin County in 2021.

According to the NCWRC, these new cases aren’t necessarily bad news. Wildlife Management Division Chief Brad Howard said in a news release that he is “encouraged by how few CWD-positive deer we’ve found, given how many deer we’ve tested.”

More: 'Zombie deer disease' cases are rising in the US. Can the disease spread to humans?

What is CWD?

Chronic Wasting Disease is a progressive, fatal disease that affects the brain, spinal cord and many other tissues of farmed and free-ranging deer, elk, and moose.

The CDC states that CWD is a prion disease or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Other TSEs include bovine spongiform encephalopathy or “mad cow disease” in cattle and scrapie in sheep and goats.

The NCWRC say that the following can spread CWD:

• Live deer, including newborn fawns

• Whole deer carcasses

• Anything containing brain, spinal cord, nerves or lymph nodes

• Body fluids

They also ask NC residents to avoid placing out food for wildlife, as the regular gathering of deer to feeding locations can increase the risk of CWD transmission. Learn more about CWD Regulations in North Carolina here.

How can you tell if a deer has wasting disease? What does a deer with CWD look like?

CWD earned the nickname “zombie deer disease” for its unsettling associated symptoms. The NCWRC's list of these symptoms includes:

• Listlessness or showing little interest in their surroundings.

• Lack of coordination.

• Frequent lowering of the head.

• Blank stare.

• Walking in set patterns.

• Drooling and grinding of teeth.

• Drinking lots of water and urinating frequently.

• Low weight.

While symptoms eventually become obvious, the NCWRC explained that it is impossible to tell whether a deer has CWD by observation alone, as the disease has a long incubation period with symptoms that may not become apparent for 16 months or more after infection.

The NCWRC checks thousands of deer for CWD yearly to monitor the presence of the disease. Last fall, they collected 36,146 samples from wild cervids, and detected 13 positive results after testing 98% of these samples. Positive results were from counties where CWD-positive deer had previously been identified: Cumberland, Surry, Stokes and Yadkin counties.

More: 'Zombie deer' disease has been reported in more than half the US: What to know about CWD

Is CWD possible in humans? What is the human equivalent of CWD?

Though there have been no cases of CWD observed in humans, there is a human TSE. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is often called the human form of mad cow disease, and presents as rapidly presenting dementia.

CJD is rare but fatal. The UK NHS lists possible symptoms including loss of intellect and memory, changes in personality, loss of balance and coordination, slurred speech, vision problems and blindness, abnormal jerking movements and progressive loss of brain function and mobility. CJD usually causes fatality within a year of the symptoms’ onset.

And, while there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans, the CDC has stated that it is important to keep the agents of all known prion diseases from entering the human food chain.

Can humans eat deer with CWD?

While there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people, the CDC also reported that some animal studies show it could pose a risk to other primates; Yet another reason they use to explain why it is so important to keep any agents of prion diseases from entering our food chain.

For this reason, the NCWRC recommends people do not eat:

• Meat from a deer that looks sick.

• The brain, eyes, spinal cord, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes.

• Any meat from an animal that tests positive for CWD.

The NCWRC says that if you see or harvest a deer exhibiting signs of disease, leave the animal at the site of kill and call your local District Biologist or the NC Wildlife Helpline at 1-866-318-2401. You can also have a harvested deer tested through the NCWRC.

For more information, visit the NCWRC website.

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: CWD in NC: Chronic wasting disease detected in deer