Disease that turns deer into zombies spreads across the US (7 photos + 1 video) (video)

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has identified a second case of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a deer disease with a 100% fatality rate. The first case (in 2025) was reported in neighboring Georgia.





The disease was detected in a white-tailed doe that was killed by a car in Holmes County, near the state border with Georgia.



"The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and its partners take this issue seriously and continue to implement a comprehensive plan to contain the spread of the disease," the government website states.

Two animals tested positive for the virus during testing of 2,406 deer in the state.





Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is caused not by viruses or bacteria, but by prions—abnormal proteins. When they enter the body, they make similar substances pathogenic.

The disease affects deer and elk. Symptoms include exhaustion, lethargy, salivation, confusion, and a lack of fear and aggression.

Experts advise against eating meat from infected animals, fearing it could lead to diseases such as mad cow disease.



Another scourge is raging in the United States. CWD should not be confused with wart-like skin fibromas found in deer, wild rabbits, and squirrels.

Fibromas are life-threatening only when they interfere with their ability to find food or escape predators.



The issue of chronic wasting disease is being discussed at the federal level. In December 2022, Congress passed the CWD Research and Treatment Act. The bill provided $35 million per year for research and prevention.