Some hunters believe that if a deer they hunt doesn’t appear sickly, then it’s ok to eat the meat.
As Colorado Public Radio reports, however, that reasoning could be risky when dealing with deer infected with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
Despite the fact that there is no definitive proof that humans can get sick from eating deer infected with the disease, a deadly neurological disorder similar to Mad Cow that’s found in deer, elk and moose, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, asks hunters to test kills from certain areas affected by CWD. And if an animal comes back positive, they recommend hunters toss it rather than consume it.
Scientists have found no conclusive proof that meat infected with CWD has harmed people and most research shows a robust species barrier, but a new Canadian study found that macaque monkeys contracted CWD after eating infected deer.