Scientists have warned that the "zombie deer disease" that infected hundreds of animals in the US last year could also infect humans. The disease, which leaves the creatures drooling, lethargic, stumbling and with blank stares, has been seen in 800 deer living in the US state of Wyoming. But experts warned that the disease is a "slow-moving catastrophe" and urged governments to be prepared in case it spreads to humans.
"PEOPLE MUST BE PREPARED"
Dr. Cory Anderson, who is researching the zombie deer disease called chronic wasting disease (CWD), said: "The mad cow disease outbreak in the UK provided an example of how things can get out of hand when a spread event happens overnight, for example from livestock to humans. We're talking about the potential for something similar to happen. No one is saying it will definitely happen, but it is important that people are prepared."
In the UK, 4.4 million cattle were slaughtered in the 1980s and 1990s after mad cow disease spread after cattle were fed infected meat and bone meal.
