Chronic Wasting Disease is a major threat to Wisconsin's deer herd. Within the last two years it was discovered for the first time in this area. It has confounded researchers looking for a way to deal with it.
Prions are abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found most abundantly in the brain. Unlike bacteria, for example, prions don't have the stuff that medicine can attack to cure.
In an article in the New York Times, Colorado State University researcher Dr. Mark Zabel said he would like to experiment with fire to see if it stops the prions from staying in the environment.
WXPR's Ken Krall talked with Dr. Zabel about his research....