Chronic Wasting Disease or CWD as it is commonly called, is a progressive fatal nervous system disease known to infect white tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose and reindeer.
Though it shares features with other similar transmissible disorders, like the bovine form known as Mad Cow disease, CWD remains a distinct disease known at this time to only naturally affect members of the deer or cervid family.
It results in symptoms ranging from pneumonia to depression to paralysis, and always resulting in death.