I was curious about this question, so I did some research on the web. It looks like deer with chronic wasting disease appear healthy in the early stages. So you could kill one and eat the meat unsuspectingly. This is from a website for Wisconsin hunters:
Recommendations to Hunters:
Observe for obvious signs of CWD in deer. CWD attacks the brains of infected deer and elk, causing the animals to become emaciated, display abnormal behavior, lose bodily functions and die. Signs identified in captive deer include excessive salivation, loss of appetite, progressive weight loss, excessive thirst and urination, listlessness, teeth grinding, holding the head in a lowered position, and drooping ears. Other diseases known to infect Wisconsin deer, such as Cranial Abscessation Syndrome, a bacterial disease of the brain or by malnutrition, can also cause many of these signs. Conversely, deer in the early stages of CWD may appear healthy as CWD is a slowly progressive disease; signs are usually not seen until the animal is 18 months of age or older.
And here is another website saying the same thing, essentially:
dnr.state.oh.us
What are the symptoms and how is it diagnosed?
Elk and deer with CWD may not produce any visible symptoms of the disease for a number of years. Eventually, as the disease becomes worse, animals may exhibit loss of weight, excessive salivation, trouble swallowing, difficulty in judging distance, and drooping ears. Unfortunately, these symptoms are not specific to CWD and can occur with other diseases as well. Currently, the only validated method to diagnose CWD is by examining the brain tissue after the animal has died. |
