Can humans get CWD from eating venison?
There has never been a confirmed case of CWD transmission to humans. However, laboratory studies show CWD prions can infect human cells under some conditions, and the CDC recommends not consuming venison from CWD-positive deer. The species barrier appears to provide protection, but it isn't absolute.
Prion diseases (CWD in deer, BSE in cattle, vCJD in humans) cross species barriers rarely but consequentially. The BSE-to-human jump in the 1990s proved species barriers can fail. Public health agencies treat CWD with appropriate caution while acknowledging there's no documented case of human infection.
Practical advice: test your deer in CWD zones, avoid eating positives, wear gloves when field-dressing, and minimize handling of nervous tissue. State disease risk pages cover local protocols.