S6 E2: Don't Eat Those Brains! The Story of Chronic Wasting Disease

Cause of Death - 100 Seconds to Midnight

Who’s Who Outside of the Zoo has begun! Hello and welcome to Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight. I’m your host, Jackie Moranty. Here we are in Season Six. This season is dedicated to wildlife disease and conservation. I’ve been trying to keep seasons at about 8 episodes, but this one may run a little longer. There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to wildlife disease and conservation and the way that they come together. I’ll be introducing some things that we haven’t talked about previously. Many of the diseases of wildlife are obscure and though the symptoms may sound like a virus or a bacterial infection, they could be something completely different. This brings us to today’s episode. Chronic Wasting Disease in cervids. It’s caused by an organism that we haven’t talked about before. It’s a prion. I’m the first to admit that I’m terrified of prions. They’re unpredictable, they’re incurable and they’re fatal. The worst thing about them is that they take years to manifest, so you don’t know you have one until it’s too late to do much about it. Sound terrifying? Keep listening! I’m going to be doing a special 100 Seconds to Midnight episode in Season 7. I’d like those of you who had experiences growing up during the Cold War to talk about those experiences. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, I can arrange that. If you’d rather just write your stories and send them in, that’s fine, too. I can read them. These stories are important, and they need to be heard. Please participate if you can. You can reach me on the website at http://www.causeofdeath100secs.net or you can email me at mailto:[e-mail]. My Link Tree can be found at: https://linktr.ee/CauseofDeathpod CWD Show Notes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5874178/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2877840/ https://www.cdc.gov/prions/cwd/transmission.html#:~:text=Scientists%20believe%20CWD%20proteins%20(prions,of%20soil%2C%20food%20or%20water. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7173489/#:~:text=Finally%2C%20we%20discuss%20prions.,properties%20of%20size%20and%20infectiousness. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/prion-diseases https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/prion-diseases https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-a-prion-specifica/ https://www.doi.gov/ocl/chronic-wasting-disease https://www.nps.gov/articles/cwd.htm https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/health_program/chronic_wasting/ https://wildlifemanagement.institute/outdoor-news-bulletin/december-2017/what-hunters-can-do-stop-chronic-wasting-disease https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-a-prion-specifica/ https://www.deerfriendly.com/deer-disease/chronic-wasting-disease/possible-origins-of-chronic-wasting-disease https://cwd-info.org/cwd-overview/ https://cwd-info.org/timeline/ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/programs/nwrc/sa_spotlight/accomplishments_chronic_wasting_disease https://wildlife.tamu.edu/cwdhistory/ https://www.cdc.gov/prions/cwd/occurrence.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925443906002201 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fviro.2023.1055487/full https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mBio.01091-19 https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-causes-chronic-wasting-disease https://cwd-info.org/recommendations-for-hunters/ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733407/DEFRA_QRA_TSE_in_cervids_June2018_v1.pdf https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=G5JCz8MAAAAJ&hl=en https://www.kunc.org/science/2019-04-24/bent-out-of-shape-part-3-a-complicated-turn-of-events https://pagosadailypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/18-Prion-Research-Letter.pdf https://www.drovers.com/news/burning-might-help-prevent-cwd-transmission https://arssymposium.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2013_USDA_ARS_V-Hoover.pdf https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0058630 https://www.coloradoindependent.com/2019/04/11/the-disease-devastating-deer-herds-may-also-threaten-human-health/ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/science/chronic-wasting-disease-deer-elk-prions.html https://cwd-info.org/timeline/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-a-prion-specifica/ https://www.kunc.org/science/2019-04-24/bent-out-of-shape-part-3-a-complicated-turn-of-events Darkcast Network – Promo by Yours Truly Support my sponsors! It ensures that Sweet Pea can eat! This month’s sponsors are FITAID and Codex. FITAID is a natural energy drink that contains several vitamins and minerals, but no artificial sweeteners. I’ve been drinking it after lunch when I need a little push to get me through the rest of my day at work. You can find FITAID products at https://www.drinkfitaid.com/causeofdeath for 40% off your first order! The True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival is coming up from August 25th to the 27th in Austin, Texas and I’ll be there representing another podcast that I’m heavily involved with. Stop by the True Consequences booth and meet Eric Carter-Landin and I! Get your tickets to the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival at https://www.truecrimepodcastfestival.com Use promo code: Consequences for 15% off your ticket Podcast Promos: ODFM Weird True Crime Music: There is No Sequel by Philip Ayers You can reach me on: Instagram: @CauseofDeathpod FB: @COD100Secs Twitter: @CauseofDeath10 TikTok: @causeofdeath100secs Please don’t forget to rate and review on any of the platforms found here: http://www.causeofdeath100secs.net You can support Cause of Death here: Subscribe on Apple Subscriptions Patreon: https://www.Patreon.com/JackieMoranty Ko-Fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/causeofdeathluckycharmsunplugg Merch can be found at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/causeofdeathluckycharmsunplugged Please share this podcast with everyone you know. Cause of Death is a proud member of the Darkcast Network. Find us at @darkcastnetwork on Twitter and @DarkcastNetwork on Facebook. I am also a proud member of the Ossa Collective Network. 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