There is no cure or vaccine for it.
In North America, they warned about the possibility of a serious threat to the ecosystem and human health due to behind the mysterious “zombie disease” in deer.
The Guardian writes about this.
In October, a black-tailed deer died from a debilitating chronic disease in Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming. Scientists are concerned that it could spread to people.
The disease, caused by prions—abnormal, vector-borne pathogens—was spreading covertly across North America. At the same time, the hunters who noticed the strange behavior of the deer were the first to express concern. Prions cause changes in the brain and nervous system. Animals drool, become lifeless, exhausted, stumble, and have a characteristic “blank stare.” These symptoms have led some to call it “zombie deer disease.” It is spread through the cervid family: deer, moose and reindeer. It is deadly and there is no known cure or vaccine.
According to veterinarian Thomas Roff, it is a disease that has enormous environmental consequences. He said both the federal government and the state of Wyoming need to take aggressive action to slow its spread. According to him, these warnings went largely unheeded, and now the consequences will be seen by the millions of people who visit the park every year.
“We are dealing with a disease that is invariably fatal, incurable and highly contagious, and there is no easy way to eradicate it,” said Dr. Corey Anderson. “The underlying concern is that we have no effective or simple way to eradicate it, either from the animals it infects or from the environment that pollutes it.”
If the environment is contaminated, the pathogen is very difficult to eradicate. It can survive for years in dirt or on surfaces, and scientists report that it is resistant to disinfectants, formaldehyde, radiation and burning at temperatures of 600°C.
In the United States and Canada, the disease has attracted attention not only because it affects large animals, but because of its ability to cross the species barrier. Deer and elk can infect livestock, other mammals, birds and even humans. Epidemiologists say the absence of a “spillover” case does not mean it won't happen.
Let us remind you that COVID-19 is spreading in Ukraine. It became known, how many people died.
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