THREE-QUARTERS of deer in some parts of US have 100% deadly ‘zombie deer virus’ – as officials issue warning to national park goers

Three-quarters of deer in some parts of the US are infected with a 100 percent deadly ‘zombie deer virus’, experts warn.

The fatal neurological disease, also known as chronic wasting disease, currently affects North American cervids, including deer, elk and moose.

The brain virus causes animals to become confused, drool and not fear humans. In areas where the disease is endemic, the prevalence is normally estimated at 25 percent.

However, experts in Colorado have warned that as many as three-quarters of deer in certain parts of the state are infected.

Visitors to the national park are urged to remain vigilant and avoid animals that appear to be infected, especially after the discovery of a sick deer in Yellowstone late last year.

At least 32 states in America and parts of Canada have seen reports of a virus called ‘zombie deer disease’ that could potentially spread to humans

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a prion-borne disease, similar to ‘Mad Cow’, that can cause weight loss, loss of coordination and other ultimately fatal neurological symptoms in deer. Above, a deer killed by CWD, as identified by Mississippi wildlife officials

Colorado Parks and Wildlife PIO Joey Livingston told Western Slope Now that scientists have identified chronic wasting diseases in 40 of 54 of our deer herds and 17 of 42 elk herds.

Once an animal contracts this disease, there is no cure or treatment. It is 100% fatal. They become lethargic, or wander off alone, and are not interested in other deer. Their brains are deteriorating, and that’s what it will look like,” he told the newspaper.

The disease is transmitted through feces, droppings and places where animals feed and is more common in male deer that have greater interaction with other deer, especially during mating season.

There have been no cases of transmission to humans yet, but scientists have suggested it is possible.

The disease is caused by misfolded proteins – when proteins do not fold into the correct shape – called prions.

After infection, prions travel through the central nervous system, leaving prion deposits in brain tissue and organs.

Recent studies have shown that the prions have the ability to infect human cells and multiply under laboratory conditions – raising the prospect of a spillover.

It is thought that people can contract the disease by eating contaminated deer meat or through contact with contaminated soil and water.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a prion-borne disease, similar to ‘Mad Cow’, that can cause weight loss, loss of coordination and other ultimately fatal neurological symptoms in deer. Above, a deer killed by CWD, as identified by Mississippi wildlife officials

The disease is transmitted through feces, feces and places where animals feed

It can take up to two years for an infected animal to develop symptoms

It can take up to two years for symptoms to appear in cervids.

As of last month, at least 32 states in the US and parts of Canada have received reports of the virus.

Dr. Cory Anderson told The Guardian: ‘The BSE (mad cow disease) outbreak in Britain was an example of how things can become chaotic overnight if, for example, there is a spillover event from cattle to people.’

BSE is also a prion-transmitted disease, just like chronic wasting disease.

“We’re talking about the potential for something similar to happen,” said Anderson, co-director of the program at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

He added: ‘No one is saying it will definitely happen, but it is important that people are prepared.’

According to Anderson, whose research focused on the routes of CWD transmission, the disease is “invariably fatal, incurable and highly contagious,” he said.

‘The concern is deeply rooted in the fact that we have no effective, easy way to eradicate it, either from the animals it infects or from the environment it contaminates.’

CWD was first identified in captive deer at a research facility in Colorado in the late 1960s, and in wild deer in 1981.

In the 1990s, the disease was reported in surrounding areas of northern Colorado and southern Wyoming.

Although prevalence is generally low, it is much higher among captive herds. A rate of 79 percent (nearly 4 in 5) has been reported in at least one captive herd.