What is the progression of the disease?

Post-infection prions can be detected in as early as a few months in lymphatic tissue. The prions progressively move from the lymphatic system into the neurologic system. Prions have been found in lymph nodes of infected wild fawns as young as 5 months old and in the obex (brainstem) at 9 months old. Clinical signs will not start to appear for 10-18 months post infection, but may not show up for years. Although clinical signs may not be outwardly apparent, prions are shed throughout the duration of the infection. Infected animals if not harvested or removed will eventually succumb to the disease.