A fatal neurological disease that turns deer into zombies could spread to humans, health experts are warning. The sickness, called chronic wasting disease, affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose and causes the animals to dramatically lose weight and walk in repetitive patterns. Other symptoms include loss of fear of humans, stumbling and listlessness. As of Jan. 24 states in the United States - including New York - have reported CWD in free-ranging deer, elk and moose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CWD hasn't yet been reported in humans but experts from the University of Minnesota stressed at a hearing Thursday that the disease should be treated as a public health issue, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. "It is probable that human cases of CWD associated with the consumption of contaminated meat will be documented in the years ahead," Michael Osterholm, the director for the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease and Research