Chronic wasting disease

Infectious Diseases
Neurological Disorders

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy caused by misfolded proteins called prions. It naturally affects members of the deer family, including several deer species, elk, caribou and moose in the United States. First identified in Colorado mule deer in 1967, it has since been detected in free-ranging and captive populations in parts of North America, Norway, Finland, Sweden and South Korea. It causes chronic weight loss, progressive signs compatible with brain lesions, and death.

Disease type: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
First identified: 1967, in mule deer in northern Colorado
Outcome: Always leads to death

Sources and credits

Article: Chronic wasting disease (English Wikipedia)
Wikidata: Q1087811
Text: Card text is adapted from the English Wikipedia article by an automated summary. Wikipedia content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for its contributors. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Article history and contributors
Illustration: By Terry Kreeger, Wyoming Game and Fish and Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance.. Public domain · File page on Wikimedia Commons
Terry Kreeger, Wyoming Game and Fish and Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance., https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/deer-chronic-wasting-disease
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