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(CNN) - “Zombie” deer roam around 24 US states, suffering from a neurodegenerative disease that makes them wobbly and drooling creatures.
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So far, Nevada has evaded the infection this hunting season. State wildlife officials plan to keep it that way.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife is urging hunters to visit their mobile sampling stations and check the bodies for chronic degenerative disease, a deadly disease that affects the brain and spinal cord of deer and elk.
The department installed stations at truck stops near state roads to prevent infection. Sampling takes approximately five minutes and does not affect deer meat or antlers, the department said.
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It is the most recent measure to protect the state's wildlife. In May, Governor Steve Sisolak passed a law that prohibits hunters from carrying deer or elk carcasses to the state to prevent disease transmission.
Chronic wear disease
Symptoms of chronic burnout disease reduce infected animals to zombie-like creatures: they stumble, drool and have a drastic weight loss. They may become more aggressive and have less fear of humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It is believed to spread through direct contact with body fluids or by drinking contaminated water, the CDC said. The disease is always fatal.
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Until August, the CDC reported infected deer and elk in 227 counties in 24 states, mainly grouped in Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas.
There is a low risk of transmission to humans, but the CDC warned hunters that the species barrier may not completely protect them from contracting animal disease.
Chronic degenerative disease can be incubated for more than a year before animals show symptoms, so the CDC recommends that hunters taste meat before eating it and avoid eating infected deer meat. You can also prevent infection by using the right equipment while dressing deer carcasses in the field and minimizing the time spent manipulating your brain and spinal tissue, where the disease originates.
deer hunt