“Town Crier” newsletter – Briefs from the Region (1) – 5/20/20
It seems like just yesterday the scariest illness in Montana was actually one that affects only deer, moose and elk—chronic wasting disease, aka the “Zombie Deer Disease” as some media outlets would dub it. Welp: the disease is continuing to spread steadily, with or without the undivided attention of the media and public, reports Montana Public Radio. According to the piece, on May 19 Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced the first suspected case of CWD in the Springhill area north of Bozeman, with initial test results showing an animal was carrying the “fatal disease, which affects the nervous systems of deer, elk and moose.” While transmission to humans has gone undocumented, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised against consuming or making contact with the remains of an animal that has tested positive. Animals infected with the fatal disease will excessively drool and appear emaciated, drowsy and clumsy.
