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These cases did not prove that chronic wasting disease (CWD) passed from deer to people. A 2024 American Academy of Neurology case-report poster described two hunters associated with the same lodge who developed sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) after eating venison linked to a deer population in a CWD region. The authors said the history suggested a possible novel animal-to-human transmission, but the report did not establish that either hunter ate meat from a deer confirmed positive for CWD or that CWD caused either illness.
What the 2024 report actually described
The report, titled “Two Hunters from the Same Lodge Afflicted with Sporadic CJD: Is Chronic Wasting Disease to Blame?”, was presented as a conference poster and published as an abstract in Neurology on April 9, 2024. It was a case report, not a controlled epidemiological study. Read the abstract.
Contemporaneous coverage described one hunter as 72 years old. He developed rapidly progressive confusion and aggression in 2022, experienced seizures and died about a month later; an autopsy identified sporadic CJD. A hunting friend from the same lodge was also reported to have died of CJD after eating venison from the same deer population. These details come from the abstract and reporting, not from evidence that either animal was individually confirmed CWD-positive. Gizmodo’s report provides the contemporaneous account.
CWD and CJD are different diseases
| Condition | Affects | Status in this report |
|---|---|---|
| Chronic wasting disease (CWD) | Deer, elk, moose and other cervids | Suspected exposure source; transmission to humans was not demonstrated |
| Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) | Humans | The diagnosis reported for both hunters |
CJD is a human prion disease. Calling the hunters’ illness “sporadic CJD” does not mean doctors reclassified it as CWD. The proposed connection is an unanswered question about whether an animal prion could have crossed species, not a confirmed explanation for the deaths.
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What is known, suspected and unproven
Observed
- Two people in the same hunting-lodge social circle were reported to have sporadic CJD.
- Their histories included eating venison associated with a deer population in a CWD region.
Suspected by the authors
The authors wrote that the patient’s history, including a similar case in his social group, “suggests a possible novel animal-to-human transmission of CWD.” “Possible” is the key qualification: it describes a hypothesis generated by the cases.
Not established
- The report did not prove that either hunter ate venison from a deer that tested positive for CWD.
- It did not identify the source of either person’s prion disease.
- It did not demonstrate that CWD infected a human or caused CJD.
Two cases are a case count, not an incidence rate or proof of a CWD-caused cluster. No population risk estimate can be calculated from them.
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Why two cases are not proof of transmission
Sporadic CJD can occur without an identified exposure, so finding two diagnoses among people who shared a lodge and ate venison does not by itself establish causation. A convincing zoonotic link would require stronger evidence, such as verified infection in the source animals, documented exposure to those animals’ tissues, and laboratory or epidemiological findings connecting the animal and human prions. The poster abstract did not provide that chain of evidence.
An earlier Colorado surveillance program investigated two highly suspicious possible human exposures. One patient was ultimately diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer disease and the other with a genetic prion disease. The 2007 report concluded that it had found no convincing human CWD-transmission cases, while recommending continued surveillance. At that time, the program screened about 5 to 10 possible cases per year—a historical program figure, not a current risk estimate. See the Colorado surveillance report.
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Could CWD pass from deer to humans?
These cases leave that question unresolved. The conference presentation raised suspicion, but no proven human transmission was established. A University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio spokesperson, quoted second-hand in a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation report, emphasized that the material was a poster case presentation rather than a research study and that there were no proven transmission cases at that time. Read the organization’s account.
That uncertainty is not evidence that transmission is impossible; it means the available observations are insufficient to show that it happened. Public-health agencies continue to monitor the issue.
What hunters should do in areas where CWD occurs
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises hunters in places where CWD has been found to consider testing harvested deer or elk before eating the meat. Do not eat meat from an animal that tests positive or appears sick. Testing availability, sample-collection rules, turnaround times and consumption advice vary by jurisdiction, so check the relevant state or provincial wildlife agency before processing the carcass. See the CDC’s CWD guidance.
- Check local status: Find out whether the hunting area is in or near a CWD-management zone and what agency handles testing.
- Ask how to submit a sample: Follow that agency’s instructions for tissue collection, labeling and drop-off or mailing.
- Wait for the official result: Do not assume that a negative-looking animal is safe without following local testing advice.
- Do not consume risky meat: Discard or otherwise handle meat according to agency instructions if the animal tests positive or was visibly sick.
- Use licensed processors carefully: Tell processors where the animal was harvested and ask how they prevent mixing meat from different animals.
Bottom line for this story
The two hunters’ deaths were unusual and appropriately prompted investigation because both had sporadic CJD and a history of venison exposure linked to a CWD region. However, the 2024 report showed an association, not a transmission event. Until animal and human evidence establishes a causal link, CWD-to-human infection remains unproven; hunters should follow local testing and consumption rules rather than infer risk from these two cases alone.
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