Real Vegans

I reported on prion diseases for a long time.
I'm well versed in transmission, because of that.

When we say broken down, we are referring to a metabolic action, digestion.
Prions are able to bypass this somewhat because of the mutation.

There's also examples of transmission via field dressing elk (TSE).
In fact the elk version of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy most likely resulted from mule deer being kept in pens where sheep with their TSE, scrapie, were penned.
Since Colorado State did not destroy animals after the experiments, the deer were released, and elk picked it up.

That was a tough one for me. Once we make a population ill, I think the humane thing is to kill them, so that they cannot spread disease to wild populations.
And that saddens me, angers me and makes me want to kick researchers, sometimes.