Does 'zombie deer disease' pose risks for humans?

Does 'zombie deer disease' pose risks for humans? No cases have yet been reported in humans, but a recent medical case report by doctors in Texas, US, on the deaths of two hunters who regularly ate meat from a population of deer infected with CWD has raised fresh questions about a link with human prion disease. "The situation with vCJD – caused by zoonotic transmission of the BSE prion from consuming infected beef – serves as perhaps the best example of what a potential crisis of CWD transmission to humans could look like, says Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. It’s important to note that BSE and CWD prions differ structurally and we do not yet know whether the pathology and clinical presentation would be comparable if CWD transmission to humans were to occur – Michael Osterholm What experimental studies of chronic wasting disease show "Lab-based and animal-based testing have had mixed results depending on the species and methods used to attempt transmission," Mullinax says. "Many academic and United States Department of Agriculture researchers are working on potential live tests for CWD," Mullinax says, "which would be an incredible help to mitigate the potential for humans consuming infected deer.