The first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), colloquially known as 'zombie deer disease', has been confirmed at Yellowstone National Park. The disease, which is fatal to deer and causes symptoms such as weight loss, loss of coordination, and other fatal neurological symptoms, has been detected in animals in at least 31 US states, two Canadian provinces, South Korea, and Europe.
The National Park Service estimates that 10-15% of mule deer near Cody, Wyoming, that migrate into Yellowstone during the summer have CWD. The disease has been spreading through Wyoming since the 1980s and currently infects 10 to 15 percent of mule deer in Wyoming, but has never before been recorded in the national park.
Officials at Yellowstone National Park have issued a warning to visitors to avoid wildlife after a 'zombie' deer was found dead near Yellowstone Lake. The deer was infected with CWD, a contagious and fatal disease that affects deer, reindeer, elk, and moose, causing symptoms such as excessive drooling, drooping ears, head tremors, teeth grinding, and reluctance to move.
The CDC says there have been no reported cases of humans contracting the disease, but it may affect other animals that come into contact with the infected deer. Additional studies are underway to determine if prion diseases could occur in people who are in contact with deer or elk meat. Park officials are working closely with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department to monitor the park's deer population and assess the spread of the disease.