BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 5, 2025
Chronic wasting disease has been on wildlife biologists’ radar for about 60 years. CWD is one of a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. It is neurological, highly contagious and causes severe brain damage, ultimately leading to emaciation and death. No cases have been reported of CWD infecting humans, livestock or other species. Wildlife agencies advise hunters to avoid eating any part of a deer’s nervous system, eyes, spleen or tonsils — and to steer clear of any deer that appears sick. CWD prions resist inactivation — the process of destroying pathogens with heat, chemicals or radiation. There is no one. CWD has a 100% mortality rate. Resources on CWD are available from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.