Idaho Fish & Game Confirm A Case Of “Zombie Deer Disease”

Idaho Fish & Game confirmed they've had a positive case for a deadly disease plaguing Idaho deer last July.

Idaho Fish & Game says that this is the first known case in northern Idaho.

"Zombie Deer Disease" Strikes Idaho

Before we bust out our zombie apocalypse kits, it's important to know what "Zombie Deer Disease" or chronic wasting disease is. Idaho Fish & Game say they have detected the disease in a deer just outside of Bonners Ferry.

Recent test results have confirmed a positive case of chronic wasting disease in an adult female white-tailed deer roughly 3 miles outside of Bonners Ferry in hunting Unit 1. The deer was reported to Fish and Game by a landowner who found the dead deer in early July.

According to the US Geological Survey, Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is "a fatal, neurological illness occurring in North American cervids (members of the deer family), including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose."

It is transmitted in a variety of ways including animal-to-animal contact and other interactions with "infectious material" like feces, saliva, etc.

Fortunately for us, CWD can't be transmitted to humans or livestock but it's still a serious concern for our wildlife managers and of course, our deer.

Why is it called a "Zombie Deer Disease"?

According to The Guardian, an infectious protein known as prions is the root of the disease and can infect the brain. The prions will affect the brain and leave the deer in a "zombie-like" state.

In their post to Facebook, Idaho Fish & Game says they're taking appropriate action to protect our deer and the ecosystem.

...The department is well-prepared to respond to the situation thanks to having a comprehensive Chronic Wasting Disease Strategy, a history of sampling for CWD in deer throughout the area, and experience dealing with affected populations in other parts of the state... Going forward we’ll be working closely with the Boundary County community to chart a course for long-term management of CWD on the landscape.

Idaho Fish & Game has a form you can fill out to help collect those samples.