"Rising Threat: Chronic Wasting Disease Spreads to Maryland National Parks"

Two white-tailed deer at Antietam and Monocacy national battlefields in Maryland have tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), also known as "zombie deer disease," marking the first cases detected at national parks in the state. CWD is a highly contagious and fatal brain disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer, and moose, and while there have been no reported CWD infections in humans, some studies have suggested a potential risk. Officials recommend not consuming meat from animals infected with or suspected of being infected with CWD, and so far, no treatments or vaccines have been discovered for the disease.