Chodosh, S. (2019, February 14) Scientists worry ‘zombie deer’ disease could jump to humans. Popular Science, Retrieved from https://www.popsci.com/chronic-wasting-disease-humanshunting

In this article, Sara Chodosh gives information about the concerning chronic wasting disease (CWD) and the zombie-like symptoms it has by affecting the neurological function of the brain. CWD, also known as prion disease, is caused by a normal protein that misfolds and becomes a fatal infection, there is no known cure for it. It is mostly found in deer, elk, and moose populations today, but researchers have concluded that there is a risk of the disease spreading to humans by consuming contaminated meat, or by other means of transmission (since scientists don’t yet know how exactly it’s contagious). She gives examples of previous incidents and investigations that took place with diseases similar to CWD. Infection rates, and ways to contain the disease rather than letting it spread more, is now being discussed by contacting local authorities. Until there is further proof and data, hunters are warned to steer clear of any animals acting strange, directly touching raw parts of hunted meat, and to test the meat before eating it.

The author ensures credibility of each of the researcher’s work that she presents, and speaks about prior experiences those researchers have to be called an expert in this topic. The main purpose of this article was to inform locals about the dangers of this new disease spreading out of control. While she does counter her own argument by mentioning how CWD related diseases might appear in humans as coincidences, she repeatedly mentions, and refutes, by saying that there is not enough knowledge on this prion disease for anyone to be sure, but there is potential for it to be transmitted. At the end of the article, when hunters were told to take precautions, it raises the question of whether the issue of overpopulating deers will rise due to discouraged hunters, or if it will help the environment instead by avoiding environmental imbalance between preys and predators that hunters are often responsible for.

The most interesting part of this article is how blunty it is put that a lot of important factors of this disease is unknown, but it was mentioned that it is fatal, and there is nothing doctors can do to save a patient who has been infected with today’s scientific knowledge of prions. The author includes enough information about which animals it has already affected and shows data proving how it is slowly spreading over to different states from Colorado to 23 others today in less than 40 years. This effectively raises awareness, taking caution is a skill that is best used when dealing with fear of the unknown.