Health officials are warning that a fatal disease currently impacting deer could jump species and infect humans. “We are having discussions right now with the CDC, [National Institutes of Health] and others about how they have to elevate the critical nature of this situation and make it clear that this is a very critical, time-sensitive public health issue,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Prevention at an informational hearing before the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division of the Minnesota state legislature.