Inside the fight against ‘zombie deer disease,’ scientists confront changing politics

By: Elise Plunk

Outlets: Louisiana Illuminator

Published: May 28, 2026

Words: 1,634

Last Updated: 1 week ago

Body Text Preview

In what looks like a souped-up high school chemistry lab, with high-tech equipment and carefully labeled specimen jars, Mariano Carossino points to a piece of deer brain.

He and the lab technicians select samples of brain stem and lymph nodes donated by hunters to test for chronic wasting disease, the infection spreading fast among deer, elk and moose nationwide.

The small, squishy pieces of organs are taken from a medical sample container and …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

Email Us