by A recent study published in the journal Neurology by a team of medical professionals and researchers in the United States has shed light on an unusual case of two men, both avid deer hunters, who contracted a rare and fatal prion disease.
Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), occur when the normal structure of prion proteins in the nervous system becomes misfolded. These misfolded proteins then propagate and cause other proteins in the same area to misfold, leading to the progressive and ultimately fatal disease.
Previous research has shown that wild animals, including deer, can carry a type of prion disease called chronic wasting disease (CWD). In humans, consumption of infected beef can lead to a prion disease known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).
In the current study, a 72-year-old man was admitted to the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, reporting symptoms of confusion and emotional instability. His condition worsened, and he eventually experienced seizures. The patient succumbed to the disease just a month after admission. He was diagnosed with CJD.
Another case of CJD was reported around the same time, involving a man of similar age and locality. The team discovered that the two patients were acquainted and shared a common hobby – deer hunting. Further investigation revealed that they had both consumed venison from the same source.
The researchers suggest that the simultaneous occurrence of these cases implies that both patients had consumed venison from the same infected animal or a member of its herd. This is an extremely rare instance of animal-to-human transmission of CWD.
Although the team does not have definitive proof of the disease originating from the same animals, they emphasize the importance of further research to better understand the disease in deer and its potential transmission to humans. They also recommend that health authorities consider warning other hunters in the area about the potential risks associated with consuming local venison.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it.
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