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Man who hunted in CWD area dies of brain disease By Lou
Kilzer, Rocky Mountain News A 63-year-old Thornton man who hunted elk and deer in a Colorado area beset with chronic wasting disease died early Wednesday from a similar human brain disease. Otto Berns first noticed signs of memory loss in early May. Doctors struggled to find the correct diagnosis, first telling his family that he had suffered a stroke. After his condition worsened, Berns' daughter, Nicki, told doctors her father was an avid venison eater who hunted north of Fort Collins. She said she suspected he was suffering some form of CJD, or Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. In June, a biopsy confirmed her suspicions.Like chronic wasting disease affecting deer and elk in northeast Colorado, CJD is caused by mutant proteins called prions. Scientists say there is no proof that humans can get CJD from eating infected deer or elk. However, research has begun to see how strong the "species barrier" is. Nicki Berns said she suspects that her father got the disease from eating game, and that a state health worker said she and her family cannot donate blood. One way to help answer the question would be to have an autopsy. However, Nicki Berns said her mother declined to allow it, citing a promise she made to her husband. Berns married his wife, Barbara, Feb. 19, 1966. They moved to Thornton in 1995. He is also survived by four children - Nicki, William and Ronald Berns of Thornton, and Jim Berns of Pelican Lake, Wisc., and two grandchildren. The family plans private services on Friday.
Copyright 2004, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved. URL: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_1258706,00.html
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