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Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is generally associated with animals. But a new study by researchers from the University of Calgary and international collaborators explored the potential for CWD to spread from deer, elk and other cervid (hooved, plant-eating) animals to other species.
There has never been a confirmed case of CWD in humans. However, researchers say the findings reinforce the need for continued surveillance and research as the disease expands geographically.
Caused by infectious proteins known as prions, CWD, a fatal neurological illness, continues to spread across North America, including growing regions of Alberta.
In a newly published study in Science Advances, researchers from the University of Calgary and collaborators around the world explored the zoonotic potential of CWD in controlled laboratory settings. While most animals remained asymptomatic, researchers detected low levels of prions in their tissues and transferred samples to other species that developed symptoms of CWD.
