Chronic Wasting Disease in Cervids: Implications for Prion Transmission to Humans and Other Animal Species

Abstract

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion-related transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids, including deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer, and moose. CWD has been confirmed in at least 26 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces, South Korea, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, with a notable increase in the past 5 years. The continued geographic spread of this disease increases the frequency of exposure to CWD prions among cervids, humans, and other animal species. Since CWD is now an established wildlife disease in North America, proactive steps, where possible, should be taken to limit transmission of CWD among animals and reduce the potential for human exposure.

Keywords: chronic wasting disease; infectious disease; prion disease; prions; public health.

FIG 1

The distribution of detected chronic wasting disease cases in North American captive and free-ranging cervids as of June 2019, courtesy of the United States Geological Survey (https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/distribution-chronic-wasting-disease-north-america-0).