Why do people not eat deer?
Robert Guerrero
Updated on March 12, 2026
Consequently, is it safe to eat deer meat?
Deer hunters, be sure downed animal was healthy before eating venison. "While there is no evidence that supports CWD being linked to human illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does recommend against eating meat from deer infected with the disease."
Similarly, what diseases can you get from eating deer meat? The diseases associated with deer include Q fever, chlamydiosis, leptospirosis, campylobacterosis, salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis.
In this way, can humans get CWD from deer meat?
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. However, some animal studies suggest 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.
What happens if you eat deer with chronic wasting disease?
However, there have been indications from studies that it is possible for the prion to infect other mammals, including primates and mice. There is no treatment for CJD; it is a fatal neurological disease like CWD. However, the CDC recommends not eating the meat from an animal that has Chronic Wasting Disease.