Popular Science: Scientists worry ‘zombie deer’ disease could jump to humans

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an incurable prion disease has spread to 24 states as of 2019, particularly in the Midwest and Southwest. As of now, the current consensus is that CWD is only limited to deer, moose, and elk. However, the CDC and World Health Organization consider the possibility of transmission of CWD to humans, likening it to the mad cow disease, which was once thought to only affect cows. For more information about the disease, click here.