CWD stands for Chronic Wasting Disease, which is a fatal neurological illness that affects members of the deer family, including deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer, and moose. It is caused by misfolded proteins called prions and is part of a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) . CWD is contagious and can be transmitted freely within and among free-ranging populations. Infected animals may not show any signs of the disease for years after they become infected, and clear neurological signs may develop slowly. Symptoms of CWD include drastic weight loss, stumbling, lack of coordination, listlessness, drooling, excessive thirst or urination, drooping ears, and lack of fear of people. CWD is always fatal, and there are no treatments or vaccines. While there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people, some animal studies suggest that CWD poses a risk to certain types of non-human primates, like monkeys, that eat meat from CWD-infected animals or come in contact with brain or body fluids from infected deer or elk.