Originally published at: Zombie Deer Disease may spread to humans, scientists warn - Boing Boing
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Oh deer…
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If it’s any comfort, it’s unlikely that a prion disease could ever become air-borne spreading. So the horror film plot, if “based on true events”, would require consuming the infected meat (viz kuru), or being bit. (and the pathway via biting still seems a bit unlikely)
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I seem to remember the fine red mist in abbatoirs was a matter of concern during the BSE crisis. Perhaps just the idea of it. Personally, I always found it pleasantly cooling when touring one during the summer.
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On the other hand there doesnt seem to be a way to destroy them. There are warehouses in the UK filled with barrels of incinerated mad cow ashes that they dont know what to do with, the prions are still there. I tried to explain to a hunter how mad cow and CWD are related and how prions wont go away by cooking the venison well done, and he didnt get it.
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Come on, someone must have had this obvious one on their extinction bingo card…
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I had no idea. JFC.
Those powers are considerable. According to one account, prions resist digestion by protein-cleaving enzymes, may remain infectious for years when fixed by drying or chemicals, can survive 200°C heat for 1-2 hours, and become glued to stainless steel within minutes. Oh, and they’re also resistant to ionizing radiation.
What is actually required to remove prions from medical equipment could best be described as destructive at best and draconian at worst and usually involves large quantities of sodium hydroxide or bleach (which is very hard on stainless steel), heat, and pressure, but even these measures are not 100% certain to get the job done. The World Health Organization recommends disposing of any suspected contaminated equipment entirely.
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It’s also really hard to test for, and symptomatic disease at least is invariably fatal!
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I’ve had people tell me that thoroughly cooking game like version and wild boar would “destroy” the radionuclides from the Chernobyl fallout said game had ingested.
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They taste better warm 
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I’m pretty sure a volcano will make short work of any prions…
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So you’re saying to air fry venison then…I’m on it!
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Learn something new everyday.
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Oh, you’d just love my Shepherd’s Pie à la Windscale - the secret ingredient is love 238PuO2.
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I bought mine just before the lockdown. Looking back, possibly a bigger threat to my long term health than the pandemic.
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Luckily deer aren’t factory farmed
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Given the reports of autoimmune conditions in workers sensitized by exposure to porcine neural tissue aerosols; it seems unpleasantly plausible that prions might be able to jump the gap under specific circumstances; but(while being what’s basically an autocatalytic poison is among the more darkly elegant techniques) they seem like less likely candidates for general coughing and sneezing.
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There’s something unhealthy about using an air fryer?
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