Experts studying chronic wasting disease in free-ranging and captive deer populations have historically pointed to animal-to-animal contact as the primary transmission of the disease.⁠ ⁠ They’ve seen how the prions causing CWD can jump from one animal to the next through saliva, blood, feces, and urine, and how those infectious prions can persist in the environment for years. But new research has revealed an even scarier and more insidious place for CWD transmission: the womb. The study, published in Scientific Reports this month, found that free-ranging whitetail does infected with CWD can pass the disease onto their unborn fawns. They say it’s the first study that provides evidence of CWD infections being transmitted in utero in wild deer.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in profile for the full story 🔗⁠ ⁠ #deer #deerhunting #deerseason #CWD #chronicwastingdisease #whitetail #whitetaildeer #fawn #deerfawn #outdoors #conservation #outdoorlife⁠ Story by: dac.collins