Prion diseases can take decades to show symptoms, like with CJD, and are very hard to test for in humans.
It might not be a question of whether it can jump species barriers, but when we will know it did, which is why the CDC can’t and won’t ring any alarm bells, just advise caution, until it’s either too late for individuals or a confirmed non-issue.
There was a study that claimed it had jumped to chimps/monkeys in a testing environment but last I heard it was disputed, but that still leaves the average citizen with plenty of reason to not
Checks notes
Eat a diseased animal.
Source your venison, it should be tested if it’s from an affected area but you never can trust suppliers for wild game.
Consider just eating, you know, cow, or only venison from a trusted source.
Preferably the person that shot and had it butchered.
The issue is that deer dont eat each other often enough for that to be how they spread it among each other.
So whatever vector is moving it around in them, which we dont actually know yet, is the more likely risk of an actual jump. Cant not take a risk if you cant tell if its risky.
Yeah. CWD a big problem but it isn’t going to cause a zombie apocalypse like the headline implies.
Prion diseases can take decades to show symptoms, like with CJD, and are very hard to test for in humans.
It might not be a question of whether it can jump species barriers, but when we will know it did, which is why the CDC can’t and won’t ring any alarm bells, just advise caution, until it’s either too late for individuals or a confirmed non-issue.
There was a study that claimed it had jumped to chimps/monkeys in a testing environment but last I heard it was disputed, but that still leaves the average citizen with plenty of reason to not
Checks notes
Eat a diseased animal.
Source your venison, it should be tested if it’s from an affected area but you never can trust suppliers for wild game.
Consider just eating, you know, cow, or only venison from a trusted source.
Preferably the person that shot and had it butchered.
Eat the person who shot the deer? Dang that’s some extreme veganism.
Turn about is fair play 😤
Do you want to get Kuru? Because that’s how you get Kuru!
Only if you eat the uncooked brain iirc.
Fun fact, human is the only meat that can be vegan! They just have to consent to it
There’s also the option of just not eating venison if you’re really worried.
The issue is that deer dont eat each other often enough for that to be how they spread it among each other.
So whatever vector is moving it around in them, which we dont actually know yet, is the more likely risk of an actual jump. Cant not take a risk if you cant tell if its risky.
That’s disappointing