what is cwd in deer

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer, and moose. It is a progressive and fatal disease that affects the brain, spinal cord, and many other tissues of farmed and free-ranging deer, elk, and moose. CWD belongs to a family of diseases called prion diseases. Scientists think CWD spreads between animals through contact with contaminated body fluids and tissue or indirectly through exposure to CWD in the environment, such as in drinking water or food. Infected animals may not show any signs of the disease for years after they become infected, and as CWD progresses, infected animals may have a variety of changes in behavior and appearance, including drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, and lack of coordination. To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. However, some animal studies suggest CWD poses a risk to certain types of non-human primates, like monkeys, that eat meat from CWD-infected animals or come in contact with brain or body fluids from infected deer or elk.