$70M Earmarked for Zombie Deer Disease Research, Management

In the recently passed omnibus spending bill, Congress significantly increased spending on researching and managing chronic wasting disease (CWD), an incurable degenerative brain disorder in deer — sometimes called zombie deer disease.

With the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will receive $70 million annually for the next five years to fund programs designed to research and manage the 100% fatal disease.

Specifically, the programs will research testing, detecting, and management practices for CWD, as well as develop policies for managing high- and low-risk areas and responding to new outbreaks.

When now-retired Congressman Ron Kind, a Democrat from Wisconsin, introduced the bill, he said: “We need all hands on deck to combat this disease” due to its economic and ecological impact.

This deer shows visible signs of "zombie deer disease" — This deer shows visible signs of “zombie deer disease”. *USGS*

According to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey, federal agencies spent more than $16 million per year and states spent another $25 million per year fighting CWD. Over the past five decades, the disease has spread through both wild and captive herds in at least 30 states in the continental U.S., as well as four Canadian provinces. And it affects all species of deer.

The measure gained bipartisan support as it worked its way through Congress. It was co-sponsored by 36 Republicans and 12 Democrats. It also gained support from a dozen hunting and conservation groups, including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, and the Boone and Crockett Club.

Whit Fosburgh, the president, and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership described the investment as providing the resources needed for state and tribal agencies to combat the disease.

“Both [research and management] efforts are necessary to ensure the future of our wild deer herds, our continued hunting opportunities, and the strong impacts of hunter-driven conservation funding,” Fosburgh said in a statement.

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The CWD Pandemic

As of January 2023, 29 states and 3 Canadian provinces have reported CWD in free-ranging deer, moose, and elk populations. *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention*

CWD is a deadly disease that affects the lymph and neurological systems of cervids such as whitetails, mule deer, elk, and moose. The sickness is caused by malformed prions, an infectious protein affecting the brain and central nervous system.

CWD has an incubation period of 18 months or more. Clinical signs such as extreme weight loss, stumbling and lack of coordination, and a loss of a natural fear of humans do not become evident until the later stages of the disease.

The first case of CWD was discovered in a captive deer in Colorado in the 1960s. CWD wasn’t identified in wild deer until 1981. Today, the disease has hit free-ranging cervid populations in at least 30 states, although CWD may exist in states that do not have widespread testing systems in place.

Researchers believe zombie deer disease spreads through direct contact with infected animals and bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, and saliva. CWD may also spread through soil contaminated with infected fluids or tissues.

*Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources*

Fortunately, there have been no confirmed occurrences of CWD in humans. However, the condition is related to other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including “mad cow disease,” scrapie in sheep and goats, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

During a 2017 study, researchers were able to infect macaques — a type of monkey genetically similar to humans — with CWD by feeding them meat from infected deer and elk. The study’s results raised concerns for hunters who fill their freezers with venison each year. However, a 2018 study produced different results. In that study, researchers could not transmit the disease to the test monkeys.

When it comes to fatal wasting diseases, it’s probably best to err on the side of caution. Currently, the CDC advises hunters to steer clear of infected venison.
The CDC also urges hunters to avoid shooting, handling, or eating meat from deer or elk that “look sick or are acting strangely.” Hunters are also encouraged to wear latex gloves when field-dressing big-game animals and to minimize contact with their organs, particularly the brain and spinal cord. They also advise hunters to have the carcasses tested before sitting down to eat elk burgers or venison stew.