<unk>  <unk> , sometimes called zombie deer<unk> , is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting deer. TSEs are a family of<unk> s thought to be caused by misfolded proteins called prions and include similar<unk> s such as BSE (mad cow<unk>  in cattle, Creutzfeldt-Jakob<unk>  (CJD) in humans and scrapie in sheep. In the US,<unk>  affects mule deer, white-tailed deer, red deer, sika deer, elk, caribou, and moose. Natural infection causing<unk>  affects members of the deer family. Experimental transmission of<unk>  to other species such as squirrel monkeys and genetically modified mice has been shown. In 1967,<unk>  was first identified in mule deer at a government research facility in northern Colorado, United States. It was initially recognized as a clinical<unk> " syndrome and then in 1978, it was identified more specifically as a TSE<unk> . Since then,<unk>  has been found in free-ranging and captive animal populations in 26 US states and three Canadian provinces. In addition,<unk>  has been found in one Minnesota red deer farm, one wild reindeer herd in Norway (March 2016) as well as in wild moose. Single cases of<unk>  in moose have been found in Finland (March 2018) and in Sweden (March and May 2019, September 2020).<unk>  was found in South Korea in some deer imported from Canada.<unk>  is typified by chronic weight loss and clinical signs compatible with brain lesions, aggravated over time, always leading to death. No relationship is known between<unk>  and any other TSEs of animals or people. Although reports in the popular press have been made of humans being affected by<unk> , by 2004 a study for the Centers for<unk>  Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested, "more epidemiologic and laboratory studies are needed to monitor the possibility of such transmissions". The epidemiological study further concluded, "as a precaution, hunters should avoid eating deer and elk tissues known to harbor the<unk>  agent (e.g., brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes) from areas where<unk>  has been identified".
Chronic wasting disease
Chronic critical illness
Protein–energy malnutrition
Infection-induced anorexia
Renal osteodystrophy
Protein poisoning
Water intoxication
Nutritional challenges of HIV/AIDS