Scientists at the University of Alberta have discovered a property in soil that can help reduce the spread of a fatal, incurable disease in wild deer.
The research team identified that humic acids—the result of decaying plant matter—in levels normally found in nature can help eliminate chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the environment.
"Anything that reduces CWD infectivity is significant,” explained U of A prion disease expert Judd Aiken. “Previous studies have shown that certain soil minerals can enhance infectivity, leaving the environment infectious for longer. These findings identify a different, organic component of soil with the opposite effect, reducing infectivity.”
CWD affects mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose, elk and caribou in North America. Infected animals can contaminate the soil through saliva, urine and feces over the course of the disease, which can take more than two years to be fatal. Healthy animals can then become infected as they come into contact with infected soil.
Continue reading at University of Alberta.
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