Final answer:
CWD can be transmitted indirectly through contact with fomites or environmental contamination. It is a type of TSE, akin to mad cow disease and scrapie, which can also be transferred to humans via infected meat consumption.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is transmitted both directly through animal-to-animal contact and indirectly through contact with a fomite. A fomite is an object or material that can carry infection, such as tools, equipment, and even food and water, which when contaminated can transfer the infectious agent to another host. CWD can also be spread through environmental contamination via bodily fluids such as feces, urine, and saliva contaminating food sources.
CWD is a type of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) found in deer and elk, similar to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep and goats. These diseases can also be transmitted to humans through the consumption of infected meat or animal byproducts. It's important to note that environments contaminated by CWD-infected animals pose a risk for transmission to other individuals who come into contact with that environment.