Snowforest Taiga pathogen

one by one, wasting illness took the residents of the taiga by storm; despite the efforts of the natives and the hunters hailing from the west, disease spread like wildfire among the hooved beasts of the wilds. they wilted and fell in great numbers, like meadows of dying flowers. death and rot hung heavy in the air.

today, no passing hunter could fail to notice the stench of death in the air; even winter's frost could not entirely halt the festering of what seemed to be a field of corpses. the occasional feeble wail or flutter of movement revealed fading traces of life among the dead — but these were fewer and farther by the hour. the snowy flatland had become a graveyard within a matter of days.

chronic wasting disease has become prolific among the deer, elk, and moose of snowforest taiga.

”in infected animals, cwd starts with a single abnormal protein called a prion, which causes lesions or holes in the animal’s brain, making the cerebellum and cortex resemble a sponge. the lesions cause tremors, chronic weight loss, and confused behavior, such as walking in circles or stumbling.”

tagging the alphas of involved packs for continuity: @Lane @Issorartuyok @Kukutux @Aiolos

written by the listener