Brain-eating zombie deer disease found in North Carolina, experts warn hunters
A disease that sends deer into a zombie-like state has been found in North Carolina for the first time in history.
Chronic wasting disease takes over the nervous system of deer and is eventually always fatal, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The disease, also known as “zombie deer disease,” has not been shown to transmit to humans, but poses a significant threat to deer and elk populations.
“CWD is caused by abnormal proteins ... that slowly spread through a deer’s nervous system, eventually causing spongy holes in the brain that lead to death,” the commission said in a news release. “The disease is spread between deer through direct contact and environmental contamination from infected saliva, urine and feces of live deer or carcasses and body parts.”
Even if the CWD-causing proteins contaminate the ground, they can remain active and spur infection for potentially decades after, according to the commission.
North Carolina has been testing for CWD in deer since 1999.
The spread of CWD
The disease was found in a harvested deer in northern Yadkin County in Dec. 2021, according to the commission. The infection was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
Since CWD was first detected in a wild deer in Colorado in 1981, the illness has been found in 27 states, including Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The overall prevalence of CWD in wild deer is relatively low, according to the CDC, but some populations can have infection rates of 10% or higher.
It can be hard to tell if a deer has CWD since signs of illness may not be visible until 16 months or more after the deer is infected, the commission said, but some behaviors can be a clue that a deer has CWD, including:
- Isolation from other animals
- Listlessness or showing little or no interest in their surroundings
- Lack of coordination
- Frequent lowering of the head
- Blank facial expressions
- Walking in set patterns (pacing, circling, etc.)
- Drooling and grinding of teeth
- Drinking lots of water and increased urination
- Low weight
“Our long-term goal is to protect our deer herd and our deer hunting culture,” Brad Howard, chief of Wildlife Commission’s Wildlife Management Division, said. “We’ve been in contact with wildlife professionals in other states that are already CWD-positive to learn from their experiences. Adapting to CWD is going to be a challenge for everyone, but I’m confident that our staff and North Carolina deer hunters can do it.”
What should hunters do?
Statewide testing for CWD in deer started in 1999 and included samples from harvested deer, roadkill and meat processors, the commission said. A North Carolina CWD Task Force was developed in early 2019 to focus on prevention, surveillance and response.
Now the state will crack down on mitigating the spread of the disease, asking hunters to keep an eye out for any signs of infection.
Hunters should contact the NC Wildlife Helpline at 1-866-318-2401 or their local district biologist if they see a deer that appears sick.
North Carolina officials also recommend that hunters don’t shoot any animal that appears to be sick and minimize the handling of the brain and spinal chord of harvested deer.
Never eat the meat of a deer that looks sick, or any parts of the brain, eyes, spinal chord, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes, according to the commission.
“We are appreciative of all the cooperating taxidermists, meat processors and hunters that have helped us with our CWD surveillance,” Howard said. “Their diligence helped us to detect the presence of CWD now, which is much better than if the disease had gone undetected.”
People can visit the commission’s resource page for more information on CWD.
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 2:42 PM.
