Deer ‘Zombie’ Disease Spreads To 26 States

Uh…heads up?

Word has it some sort of weird, deadly disease is spreading in animals such as deer, elk and moose. It ultimately kills the host, but not before bringing on “zombie-like” symptoms such as “dramatic weight loss, loss of coordination, and increased aggression.”

It’s now confirmed in 26 states.

Formally called chronic wasting disease, the illness attacks the brain, spinal cord, and other tissues in deer, elk, and moose.

It eventually leads to death – but, not before causing the animal to dramatically lose weight and coordination, and become aggressive.

According to the CDC, the disease was reported in at least 24 states in the US and two Canadian provinces as of January 2019, up two states since last year.

It’s not necessarily a new discovery, but there are increasing concerns that it could spread to humans.

While it’s not yet known to be transmissible to humans, a recent study found for the first time that macaques could get the disease after consuming infected meat, sparking fears that a variant targeting humans could soon emerge.

Can we just not?

You can find a map of the “trouble” states here. (Florida isn’t one of ’em. Woo-hoo.)

h/t Daily Mail