Hunter Beware: Infectious proteins found in deer muscle
Infectious agents called prions that cause a mad cow–like disease in deer and elk are present in the infected animals’ muscles, according to a new study. Prions had been shown to congregate primarily in the brains and spinal cords of infected animals, so the finding could increase concern among people who eat deer meat.
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Researchers have found that prions are responsible for similar diseases in several species: for example, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in people; bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, in cows; and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk. These diseases start when a normal protein present in all mammals, called the prion protein, becomes misfolded. When normal prion proteins interact with the misfolded ones, they also become misfolded and propagate the disease.