Chronic Wasting Disease in Yellowstone Inspires Fear that Disease Could Spread to Humans

Chronic Wasting Disease was discovered in 1967. A prion disease, it affects cervid populations. This includes deer, elk, and moose populations. Since its discovery, Chronic Wasting Disease has been found in cervid populations throughout North America, South Korea, and Norway. This disease has alarmed scientists and hunters. However, a recent case of the disease in Yellowstone National Park has prompted a new wave of concerns. The carcass of an adult mule deer found in the southeastern portion of the park tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, according to an update released by the park on November 14, 2023.

Chronic Wasting Disease affects cervid brains’ and nervous systems’. The cause of the disease, prions, are transmissible. They can spread from individual to individual or through environmental contact with contaminated objects. Methods of transmission can include saliva, urine, feces, and carcasses of infected animals. Once an environment is infected, it is difficult to remove the pathogen. According to a 2017 report, the pathogens are “known to resist disinfectants, alcohol, formaldehyde, detergents, protein enzymes, desiccation, radiation, freezing, and incineration >1100°F.”

Once infected, animals with Chronic Wasting Disease display alarming symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control states that these include drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, lack of coordination, listlessness, drooling, excessive thirst or urination, drooping ears, and lack of fear of people. These symptoms have led to the disease being dubbed the “zombie deer disease” by some. Currently, there is no known cure or vaccine for the disease. 

Chronic Wasting Disease is related to other prion diseases including bovine spongiform encephalopathy, scrapie, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. While there have been no confirmed cases of Chronic Wasting Disease being transmitted to humans, non-human primates have been infected by the disease making possible cross-species infection a concern. It is estimated that between 7,000 to 15,000 animals infected by Chronic Wasting Disease are consumed by humans every year. These creatures are primarily consumed by hunters and their families. This is worrying to experts since widespread consumption of infected animals offers multiple exposures and chances for transmission.

The discovery of an infected animal in Yellowstone National Park has given officials and the public heightened cause for concern. Yellowstone, which spans three states and 2.2 million acres, is a hotbed of ecological diversity. In the park, there are hundreds of thousands of deer and elk. These cervids are preyed on by a variety of carnivores including wolves, grizzly bears, cougars, coyotes, and scavengers. It remains to be seen how the prion disease will affect this ecosystem.

One of the greatest fears about Chronic Wasting Disease is the possibility that it could jump the species barrier. Experts worry that it could infect other mammals including humans and livestock. They fear that the disease could follow a similar path to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy outbreak in the United Kingdom during the late 80s and early 90s. An estimated 24,000 people in the U.K. are thought to have been infected with the disease. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is thought to be linked to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

To reduce the risk of humans consuming meat from animals infected with Chronic Wasting Disease, it is recommended that hunters have all meat tested. However, the lack of free, rapid, and accessible testing are cited as barriers to widespread testing by the Alliance for Public Wildlife. Animals infected with Chronic Wasting Disease have been discovered in three Canadian provinces and 32 U.S. states. Instances of the disease have also been documented in South Korea and Norway.

Experts hope that the discovery of infected deer in Yellowstone will serve as a wake-up call to the worrying implications of Chronic Wasting Disease on ecosystems. Already, park authorities are figuring out how they will deal with the disease. Since there are no current treatments or eradication methods, officials have stated that they are increasing collaboration with other wildlife agencies to identify areas in the park with a high risk for Chronic Wasting Disease. Additionally, they are increasing monitoring and testing for Chronic Wasting Disease.

However, there are several other steps that experts have said the park could take to help manage instances of Chronic Wasting Disease. Two practices are of particular concern according to statements that Dr. Thomas Roffe gave to the news organization The Guardian. Roffe is a veterinarian and the former chief of animal health for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The first area of concern is feeding elk alfalfa during the winter. More than 20,000 animals visit the areas where food is provided. Conservationists have condemned this practice and urged the state of Wyoming to begin the process of phasing out elk feedgrounds. The feedgrounds have disrupted elk’s natural migration patterns according to the Wyoming Sierra Club. With the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease, the feedgrounds are under fire for another reason. According to Roffe, the chances of Chronic Wasting Disease are higher where large numbers of animals congregate. This means that the elk feedgrounds offer potential transmission sites for the disease.

Roffe also says that predators like bears, wolves, and cougars may play an important role in controlling Chronic Wasting Disease in cervid populations. This is because these predators will frequently prey on sick animals, thus removing them from the population. As long as Chronic Wasting Disease remains confined to cervids, this is an important way of controlling the disease. However, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, the three states in which Yellowstone is located, all have encouraged the hunting of predators. This is largely due to the perceived need for livestock protection. 

Managing Chronic Wasting Disease is important for both animal and human health. The potential of the disease to jump species is a real and critical threat. Additionally, the disease has the potential to devastate animal populations and ecosystems if left unmanaged. 

For now, experts advise people to avoid touching or handling sick or dead wild animals. Additionally, hunters are advised to have all meat tested for Chronic Wasting Disease before consumption. Meat from animals infected with Chronic Wasting Disease should not be consumed.

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