Two people died from a virus that turns deer into “zombies” (4 photos)

US hunters died shortly after eating deer meat. According to some reports, they contracted chronic wasting disease (CWD).





The men developed similar neurological symptoms seen in deer infected with the "zombie virus." This has raised concerns that CWD can be transmitted from animals to humans.

The disease affects the brain and nervous system, as a result of which animals begin to salivate profusely, become lethargic, and lose weight.



It has been nicknamed the "zombie virus" because of the characteristic blank stare of infected deer.

Experts fear that CWD could spread to humans, similar to mad cow disease in the 1990s.

Scientists from the University of Texas Health Science Center studied hunter deaths and concluded that the disease is already being transmitted to people.

A 72-year-old man presented with confusion, unexplained aggression, and seizures. Despite treatment, he died a month later. After his death, he was diagnosed with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a disease that destroys the brain.

The hunter's friend also died from the disease.



Chronic wasting disease is an infectious disease caused by prions (pathogens). Prions are a type of protein that can cause normal proteins in the brain to fold abnormally, leading to severe disability and death.

CWD has been found in 32 American states, as well as three Canadian provinces, South Korea, Finland, Norway and Sweden. In infected animals, the first symptoms may appear up to a year later.



There is currently no effective treatment or vaccine for this disease.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is also caused by prions. Acquired Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or mad cow disease, is transmitted to humans from animals through contaminated meat. Most patients die within a year of diagnosis.

Because it is so difficult to distinguish between these diseases, the researchers were unable to prove that the men contracted the infection from the animal.

In December, hundreds of Yellowstone National Park deer were infected with a highly contagious disease. And in 2022, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department tested the meat of more than 6,500 deer and elk and found the disease in about 800 samples.