Consider the following statements regarding Chronic Wasting Disease (C...
In a concerning development, scientists are sounding the alarm about the potential spread of a condition known as chronic wasting disease (CWD) from animals to humans.
About Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD):
- CWD, also known as Zombie deer disease, is a neurological disorder affecting deer and other cervids (members of the deer family) caused by the abnormal growth of a misfolded protein called a prion.
- This prion causes healthy brain proteins to become abnormal, leading to a range of symptoms.
- CWD is contagious; it can be transmitted freely within and among cervid populations.
- Transmission: CWD is transmitted directly through animal-to-animal contact and indirectly through contact with objects or environments contaminated with infectious material (including saliva, urine, feces, and carcasses of CWD-infected animals).
- Symptoms: It may take over a year before an infected animal develops symptoms, which can include drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, listlessness, and other neurologic symptoms.
- CWD is particularly concerning because it has the potential to affect both animals and humans, with the possibility of transmission through the consumption of infected meat.
- CWD can affect animals of all ages, and some infected animals may die without ever developing the disease.
- CWD is fatal to animals, and there are no treatments or vaccines.
Hence only statement 1 is correct.
Consider the following statements regarding Chronic Wasting Disease (C...
Understanding Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a significant concern primarily affecting deer and other cervids. Here’s a breakdown of the statements regarding CWD and the reasoning behind the correct answer.
Statement 1: Neurological Disorder
- CWD is indeed a neurological disorder that affects animals, particularly members of the deer family, such as elk, moose, and white-tailed deer.
- This disease is caused by prions, which are misfolded proteins that lead to brain damage and resultant behavioral changes, weight loss, and eventually death.
Statement 2: Non-Contagious Nature
- The assertion that CWD is non-contagious and does not transmit through contact is misleading.
- While CWD is not contagious in the traditional sense like bacterial or viral infections, it can spread among animals through direct contact or indirectly through environmental contamination (e.g., prions can persist in soil and plants).
- Infected animals can shed these prions through bodily fluids, which can then infect other susceptible animals.
Conclusion
- Based on the analysis, Statement 1 is correct, affirming that CWD is a neurological disorder.
- However, Statement 2 is incorrect due to the potential for transmission through contact and environmental contamination.
Correct Answer
- Therefore, the only correct statement is Statement 1, leading to the conclusion that the correct answer is option 'A': 1 only.
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