As the article points out prion diseases are still extremely rare. There's also no proof yet that the deer prion can make a jump and cause disease in humans. I rationally know this, and yet having seen prion disease before in person, I irrationally (rationally?) avoid venison now just in case.
This is a really interesting finding. There's precedence too. Pelvic inflammatory disease, classically caused by sexually transmitted bacterial infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea, is associated with a higher risk of developing endometriosis. There also does appear to be a genetic component, but that might have to do with determining how your body responds to infections in a way that's more likely to cause endometriosis. Hopefully finding this new bacterial association can lead to more treatment options.
As the article points out prion diseases are still extremely rare. There's also no proof yet that the deer prion can make a jump and cause disease in humans. I rationally know this, and yet having seen prion disease before in person, I irrationally (rationally?) avoid venison now just in case.