Chronic wasting for the masses?

Dear Editor:

Are needy people in danger of contracting mad deer disease by eating the venison groups such as that which is distributed by Hunters for the Hungry to food banks in 49 states?

Mad deer disease, also known as chronic wasting disease (CWD) has now been confirmed in 11 states: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. And now, Florida is suspect.

It is not yet known for sure if CWD, or mad deer disease, can cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, as mad cow disease did in England. However, deer hunter Otto Burns, of Colorado, died of CJD, as did Wayne Waterhouse and James Botts, who ate venison together.

Beverly Goodman, of Texas, whose father and his best deer hunting friend also died of CJD, is convinced they “got a hold of some bad deer.”
Meanwhile, Hunters for the Hungry donates the dead deer to local food banks. The incubation period for CWD can be years, so many deer who have it might not appear sick. One can only wonder if people living on low incomes or no income, including thousands of children, are in danger of contracting mad deer disease from being fed diseased venison at food kitchens.

Hunters for the Hungry is simply one more way hunters justify their cruel killing for fun, and innocent people should not have to risk paying for it with their lives.

– Sincerely,
Stephanie Boyles
Wildlife Biologist PETA