After the mad cow disease, this is the disease of the deer crazy

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The deer of 23 u.s. States and two provinces of the country are affected by an epidemic that may reach humans.

Anne Caroline Desplanques

Saturday, December 23, 2017 01:00

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Saturday, December 23, 2017 01:00

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A fatal disease similar to mad cow disease made havoc among the deer in the centre of Canada and the United States. She is now threatening to attack the humans, according to scientists from the federal government.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of cervids is incurable and kills its victims in a few months, destroying the brain and spinal cord. Elk, moose, white-Tailed deer and the mule deer are affected.

“The MDC has the potential to infect humans “, indicates a research team of Calgary conducted by the canadian Agency of food inspection.

Infected meat

By conducting tests on primates, researchers have found that it is possible to contract the disease by eating infected meat. They thus fear that the same thing happens in humans, if ingested deer infected mesh, chinese fondue or a meat pie of the Saguenay.

Ever detected here, according to the ministry of Wildlife, CWD, however, is at our doors. Cases have been discovered in the State of New York, just south of the border.

Twenty-three u.s. States and two canadian provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan are infected.

The department is on guard, as ” travel to natural animal promote the progression of the disease to the province of Quebec “, he says.

Since 2007, conducts tests, particularly in the Montérégie and eastern Townships, two areas close to the border.

But ” the financial and human resources that can be assigned to the oversight of the MDC does not allow for the collection and, especially, the analysis of a number of samples sufficient “, one can read in the québec Strategy on the health of wild animals prepared by the ministry.

The documents of the ministry of Wildlife to exclude a transmission of CWD to humans, despite the recent opinion of Health Canada scientists.

On the side of the Wisconsin, where the disease kills deer relentlessly since the 1970s, researchers fear that a long-standing human form of evil.

Worse than HIV

“In humans, the HIV would have the air of a picnic at the side of the MDC,” says the epidemiologist Mike Samuel, who heads the unit cooperative wildlife research in Wisconsin, in a documentary produced by the Alliance for Public Wildlife.

The president of this organization in alberta that is dedicated almost entirely to the MDC, the biologist Darrel Rowledge, did not hesitate to compare this disease to the Spanish flu. He points out that this flu was responsible for more deaths in the 25 weeks that the HIV in 25 years, and came also the animals : the chickens and livestock.

From 7000 to 15 000 infected animals would be consumed each year by families of hunters in Canada, according to estimates from the Alliance for Public Wildlife, which brings together scientists and representatives of the Pemières Nations.

How to transmit the disease ?

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly contagious. It is transmitted through urine, stool, saliva and blood of affected animals. In addition, it proves to be very resistant. In the farms affected, the farmers have to exterminate all their beasts, and in 50 % of cases the disease reappears, even after a complete disinfection of the premises.

How do you get it ?

The main ways are :

• the import of deer from herds in live infected ;
• the importation of carcasses or parts of carcasses of cervids infected wild ;
• the migration cross-border natural deer infected wild ;
• the importation of products derived from cervids infected.

Caribou in danger ?

Picture Of Pierre Pouliot

As the deer, the caribou are cervids. They could therefore be affected by the MDC. Until now, no cases have been identified in Canada. By contrast, Norway reported the first case in 2016.