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Chronic wasting disease was first detected in the state’s wild deer populations about 15 years ago. Since then, the disease remains an enigma for many Minnesotans, and most are still unfamiliar with the basics of how the disease works or what role they can play in stopping its spread. A new video game soon to be piloted in high schools across the state aims to answer those questions.

CWD is a neurological disease in deer, elk and moose that slowly destroys their nervous system. It’s not caused by a virus or bacteria but a misfolded protein that’s gone awry called a prion. Moose, elk and deer can get it by coming in contact with an infected animal’s body fluids physically or environmentally. 

Once CWD enters its host, it binds to proteins already inside its body. Since those proteins occur naturally within the host animal, its immune systems doesn’t respond because it doesn’t sense anything is wrong. 

There is no cure for the disease. It always leads to death within about two years of contracting it. 

Scientists from the University of Minnesota wanted to educate the public on those fronts. A group from the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach came up with the idea for a video game.

Thomas Seiler from the University of Minnesota’s Research and Outreach is the game’s creator. He said the concept for it came to him last fall.

“The game grew out of answering a question that comes up at just about every outreach event we do, which is, ‘What is my role? What can I do?'“ he said. “So, I had the idea of providing those answers through a role-playing video game.”

That video game is called “Cofactor.”  It’s a text-based game with a narrative that changes based on a player’s decisions. The name “Cofactor” refers to the relationship in biochemistry between enzymes and their helper molecules, or cofactors, they need to function.

Seiler recently demonstrated the game for a class at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley. Seiler introduced the students to the game’s mechanics. Playing as a group they took on the role of a single hunter. 

After choosing the name Trash Boat, the students began their journey as a bow hunter stalking their prey through some woods near Winona. They eventually spotted their first deer. Using an overhead projector to read the game’s text to the class, the University’s other presenter, Marc Schwabenlander, described what they were seeing. 

“A six-point buck steps into the clearing, every ounce of your attention focuses,” he said. “So now this deer comes in when we’re hunting, we have six choices that we could make.”

Some of the choices include observing the deer, passing it up or even taking a nap. The students decided partly as a joke to click on the option to sing to the deer. Schwabenlander read what happens next.

 “With head raised to the empty tree canopy, your lungs chill as you draw an enormous breath and begin belting Walk the Moons, 2014, hit and karaoke mainstay, ‘Shut Up and Dance,’ with passionate feeling of course,” he said.

The deer in the game didn’t react to the singing. A loss of fear of humans is a sign the animal could be infected with CWD.

The students clicked on the options to virtually shoot the deer, field dress it and send the meat to the butcher. They were also given the choice to collect the animal’s lymph nodes to have it tested for CWD. 

After voting to test the lymph nodes, the students were met with a series of photographs vaguely resembling each other. Then they were asked to pick which one to send in for testing.

They identified the right sample and eventually the results confirmed that the deer was positive for CWD.

On their second playthrough the students clicked on many options that were considered “bad choices.” They decided to eat some very questionable deer meat. Schwabenlander told them their fate.

“Well, you’re the first documented case of chronic wasting disease crossing over in humans,” he said. “Bummer.” 

While there have been no reported cases of that happening in real life, it is a possibility. 

After the students hunted their final deer without issue the game ended.

Before leaving class, a student named Joe said the CWD game was informative.

“But it also had some humor to like, keep you attent to it,” he said. “And it goes to show that education can be fun if you put in the effort and the work.”

One of the class’s teachers, Sarah Oppelt Santelli, said she loved how immersive the game was for students.

“They were both entertained and educated and pulled along with the mystery of the game, figuring out how to make the right choices, and what happens when they make sort of strange choices,” she said. “It was really fun to see how much they learned.” 

Following their presentation the University of Minnesota’s, Seiler said society is at a place where there are divergent ideas about the role of science in managing disease. 

“If you approach it in a less threatening way, where you can encourage some people to maybe entertain another perspective for a short period of time by playing a different role, then I think you’ve gone a long way to doing good science education,” he said. 

Schwabenlander said one of the most important aspects of the game is alerting young people to the risks of CWD, because if the disease is left unchecked it will eventually decimate deer populations, impact wildlife ecosystems and possibly infect humans. 

“The game’s goal is also ultimately to teach people about chronic wasting disease, to really to help manage the disease,” he said. “Because the reality is, in order for it to be managed well, people need to be educated about it to understand it.”

The U of M’s prion research center will release “Cofactor” to 25 pilot schools next month. After seeking funding, researchers hope to add the game to teaching curriculums across the state.

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Mathew Holding Eagle III

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A new video game aims to educate young people about chronic wasting disease and how to prevent its spread.

How to educate teens about CWD? A video game, of course

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