Hunters Warned of Infected Big Game

Elk and deer hunters in Colorado and Wyoming have been alerted to a fatal brain disease found in the big game similar to mad cow disease, but officials said no evidence exists the disease is transmitted to humans.

“It’s certainly a cousin of mad cow disease,” said Jeff Obrecht, spokesman for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

That’s why hunters, many of whom come from out of state, have been cautioned not to eat the brain or spinal cord of the animals because chronic wasting disease attacks the brain and the nervous system, according to Dr. Richard Hoffman, chief medical officer for the state of Colorado.

Hunters are advised to use rubber gloves when cutting up the carcass and to avoid animals obviously suffering from the disease.

In late stages of chronic wasting disease, elk and deer waste away.

“They quit eating and they quit drinking,” said Ron Walker, president of the Colorado Elk and Game Breeders Assn.

Chronic wasting disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a variant that is linked to mad cow disease, are similar because they are both caused by proteins called prions that destroy brain tissue.

“The question is could the prions of one species enter another species through the consumption of meat?” Hoffman said.” There is no evidence there is transmission.”

Chronic wasting disease has been found in less than 1% of elk in southeastern Wyoming and neighboring northeastern Colorado. The disease has been found in about 4% to 6% of deer in the same area in Colorado and between 7% and 10% in the same area in Wyoming, officials said.

There are about 250,000 elk in Colorado.

“We are certainly not aware of any biologists who are suggesting hunting should be banned because of wasting disease,” said Todd Malmsbury, chief information officer at the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which is thought to be transmitted to humans through the eating of infected beef.