BOISE, Idaho — Chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological condition that affects members of the deer family, has been confirmed in two more Idaho animals, Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials confirmed last week.
In a news release, Fish and Game said a cow elk and a white-tailed doe tested positive for the contagious disease. They were the fifth and sixth confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease in Idaho since the illness was first detected in two mule deer bucks in November. Two white-tailed deer bucks have also been confirmed to have CWD.
Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease in the same family as mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Chronic wasting disease, which is sometimes referred to as "zombie deer disease," is caused by malformed proteins that build up in the brain, leading to malnutrition, neurological issues and bizarre behavior.
