Eerie "zombie disease" is spreading
The US Department of Health is alarming because of a condition that sounds more like a horror movie: The Nervous Disease "Chronic Wasting Disease" (CWD), also known as zombie disease among experts At present, numerous ungulates such as moose, deer, deer and reindeer are infested. CWD is related to the mad cow disease BSE, highly contagious and mostly fatal. So far, the disease has been detected in 24 US states, but cases in South Korea, Canada and Finland have now become known. The pathogen is extremely resistant and is transmitted by saliva, urine and feces on the ground.
Uncontrolled behavior
In CWD, an abnormal protein form collects in brain cells of the animal and attacks the central nervous system. It may take up to a year for the first symptoms to appear. And it's these symptoms that have earned CWD the nickname Zombie Disease: The animals tremble and stagger, lean, saliva runs out of their mouth. They look aggressive and completely uncontrolled.
Can people get infected with zombie disease?
Director of the US Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Michael Osterholm, warns that people could become infected with the zombie virus in the coming years? through the consumption of infected meat. Scientists have already proved that this is possible in monkeys. And Osterholm considers it unlikely that there are only isolated cases? rather one should adjust oneself to a large number of illnesses.
Robert Koch Institute estimates risk as low
German authorities, on the other hand, are more relaxed about zombie disease: A spokeswoman for the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) told T-Online that that the disease itself is not new. Already in an EU monitoring program between 2007 and 2009, samples of 1,200 red and white-tailed deer were taken to investigate a possible infection. All these samples were negative. In addition, currently only isolated cases of zombie disease are known in Europe. Even if a transmission of the pathogen to humans can not be completely ruled out, the RKI estimates the risk of infection as very low.
Video tip: "Katzenkrankheit" symptoms: That's why it is dangerous for humans!
