Newly released data triggered scientists to issue a warning about the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) through deer, elk, moose, and reindeer populations in the US and Canada.

The contagious disease has now reached both wild and domestic game herds across 36 US States and four Canadian provinces, causing mass deaths as there is no vaccine or treatment available.

Scientists have described the spread as a "slow-motion disaster in the making," but are now warning that the always-fatal disease could "spillover" to humans if more is not done.

CWD is more commonly referred to in the press and by wider society as "zombie deer disease" due to symptoms that are eerily similar to those of the fictional monsters.

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The term has caused concern among scientists, who believe that it "trivializes" the potentially disastrous situation the US may be facing if the disease becomes more prevalent or spreads to humans.

"It leaves readers with the false impression that this is nothing more than some strange fictional menace you’d find in the plot of a sci-fi film," epidemiologist Michael Osterholm told The Guardian.

"Animals that get infected with CWD do not come back from the dead," he said. "CWD is a deathly serious public and wildlife health issue."

In January 2025, a newly published report saw 67 experts weigh in on the crisis that the world would face if CWD were to spread to humans, and how a potential response would play out.

"CWD poses a significant global threat," the report states, referencing the lack of any vaccine or treatment and the prevalence of deer varieties across every continent except for Antarctica.

"Researchers, hunters, and government officials in particular are increasingly concerned about spillover to production animals or humans," the report warns.

"The continued spread of CWD and environmental contamination increase the risk of exposure and spillover to other wildlife, livestock, and humans."

The report recommended a multidisciplinary approach when preparing and executing a response to the spillover of CWD, with a focus on developing medicinal responses, surveillance and tracing, and managing outbreaks.

They came up with a series of nine key recommendations to governments and scientists, including increased CWD spillover awareness, expanding research, and drafting regulatory and governmental policies in advance so that they can be enacted immediately in the case of an outbreak.

"Government agencies should consider preparing messaging and language in advance to address various levels of public health risk posed by a CWD spillover incident under investigation," the report recommended.