Warning 'zombie disease' could jump to humans from deer says bombshell new report
Warning 'zombie disease' could jump to humans from deer says bombshell new report
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Foodies have been issued a 'zombie disease' warning after experts stressed that humans could become infected from eating meat in the future. A new report, funded by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, revealed that "zombie deer disease" could soon spill over to humans. According to the alert, the deadly illness, also known as chronic wasting disease (CWD), has also been detected in wild pigs that eat infected meat.
Now, researchers are warning that the disease could soon spread to domestic pigs - meaning it is only a matter of time before it spreads to people. The side effects include severe weight loss, behavioural changes and excessive thirst and urination. The disease can also stop animals from being afraid of humans.
Dr Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases researcher at the University of Minnesota, stressed: "We have some limited data now suggesting that feral pigs might be infected. If they can get infected, surely it's possible domestic swine could also become infected? What would that do to the swine market? What would that do to the cattle market? These are huge issues.".
So far, the disease has been detected in at least 33 states across the US, including: Wyoming, Wisconsin, Colorado and areas of Pennsylvania. Specialists in the report also warned than the disease could spread to humans through infected deer that are trapped by hunters, reports Mail Online. Both pork and venison are usually cooked ahead of consumption. However, experts stressed this would not stop a person from becoming infected, because heating up the food just concentrates the toxic conformations ( misfolded proteins ) behind the illness.
