“Zombie deer” were reported in 24 different states in the month of January, and people are becoming scared if the disease will spread to humans.

“It’s a scary disease, I hope there can be a cure. Hopefully, doesn’t evolve to spread to humans,” sophomore Michael Sitarski said.

The “zombie deer” are actually deer that are infected with chronic waste disease. The deer are not zombies nor dead. CWD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which is a disorder that … that affect both humans and animals, but CWD has never been reported in humans.

On March 13, 2005, a company in Oneida County, New York fed 200 to 250 customers deer meat that had tested positive for CWD. Later the Oneida County Health Department monitored the group’s health through a surveillance project, and researchers found the group had “no significant changes in health conditions” in a study lasting over six years.

“The name makes it seem worse than it, it’s been going forever and it’s just getting attention from the name,” junior Jackson Fenner said.

The name “zombie deer” comes from the appearance of the deer, and how it was perceived on social media. Many social media pages were making the “zombie deer” seem worse than it actually is. The deer are not zombies and don’t “rise from the grave”. Hunters are required that deer that have been killed be inspected, and cleared to prevent the spread of this disease.