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I think prions are a bigger problem in crowded single-species environment than in comparatively sparse mixed-species pre-industrial world. In particular when y
by ajuc 5y ago
I think prions are a bigger problem in crowded single-species environment than in comparatively sparse mixed-species pre-industrial world.
In particular when you feed cows proteins made from dead cows it's making it more likely to create prion problems than when wild animals live in small herds in forests (and the ones that are sick are killed by predators or starvation before they can infect others more than likely).
- lazide 5y agoFeeding the output back into the input definitely makes it a bigger problem, however Chronic Wasting Disease in Elk and Dear in North America is becoming a huge problem and is a prion disease, and they’re living wild. So it doesn’t require it, it just increases the odds (and they don’t eat each other to spread it - it’s highly infectious and demonstratively infects if they share browsing/grazing land). It doesn’t appear to spread between them and humans, but it definitely makes me nervous.