Lots of people believe HIV entered the human population because people had sex with monkeys, when it is probably due to contact with monkey blood (and other fluids) after killing the monkey for food. As ERV noted, if you tried to have sex with a monkey, you would be torn limb from limb. That doesn’t stop anti-gay bigot and Tennessee state Senator Stacey Campfield from making this claim (boldface mine):

CAMPFIELD: Most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community.

SIGNORILE: No, it did not. Do you know the history of AIDS?

CAMPFIELD: It was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men.

SIGNORILE: No, it was not one guy screwing a monkey. It was somebody in Africa. Do you know the history of AIDS? Because I can tell you in a minute? It was somebody in Africa who actually killed a monkey, because they eat the meat of many animals, as I’m sure you do, I’m sure you eat the meat of animals. And they ate the meat of a monkey and the blood, they chopped it up, and it got in a cut and that’s how AIDS then spread among heterosexuals all through Africa, and it is a pandemic around the world.

He has since done the typical movement conservative shuffle: sort of retracting his statement while still doubling down on stupid. But here’s the thing: we have plenty of examples of this sort of transmission, and they’re not limited to viruses.

Which brings me to the topic of teen-on-deer sex. Actually, it’s not, it’s just food-associated illness:

We investigated an outbreak of non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli at a high school in Minnesota, USA, in November 2010. Consuming undercooked venison and not washing hands after handling raw venison were associated with illness. E. coli O103:H2 and non-Shiga toxin–producing E. coli [STEC] O145:NM were isolated from ill students and venison.

Go on:

On December 1, 2010, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) was notified that 2 students from the same high school were hospitalized with bloody diarrhea. As part of a physical education/environmental science class, 7 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) had been processed on school grounds on November 16, and venison kabobs were grilled and consumed in class on November 23.

TEH SCIENTISMZ!!! And the conclusions (boldface mine; footnotes removed):

This outbreak of non-O157 STEC was associated with handling and consumption of venison from wild white-tailed deer in a high school class. Venison butchered at the school was positive for the outbreak PFGE subtype of STEC O103:H2 and non-Shiga toxin–producing (stx–) E. coli O145:NM.

The role of stx– E. coli O145:NM is unknown. Although E. coli O145:NM strains isolated from patients 3 and 4 and venison were stx–, other virulence factors, clinical illness, and an enterohemorrhagic E. coli serotype suggest a potentially pathogenic strain. Human infections with stx– E. coli serotypes may cause bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Further characterization of virulence determinants and phylogeny of these strains may shed light on their pathogenicity.

Multiple potential routes of transmission from venison to case-patients were identified, included consumption of venison and cross-contamination from raw to cooked venison. Handwashing after touching raw venison or contaminated surfaces was protective. Interviews with the butcher ruled out cross-contamination from domestic ruminants to venison during butchering. Therefore, we conclude that >1 deer were colonized with non-O157 STEC.

A study of white-tailed deer feces in Minnesota and Wisconsin found non-O157 STEC in 5% of samples. Studies have found non-O157 STEC contamination of deer meat ranging from 7.5% of roe deer meat in Germany to 22% of fallow deer meat in Belgium. Prevalence rates of E. coli O157 in deer have ranged from 0.25% to 2.4%. Previous outbreak investigations and case reports have linked E. coli O157 infections to deer. This outbreak indicates that white-tailed deer are a source of human non-O157 STEC infections. Venison should be handled and cooked with the same caution recommended for other meats.

It seems that deer are a reservoir of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli.

And for members of the asshole community like Campfield, note that no HOTT TEENY SEXX!!! was involved, just improper cleaning (so always WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS!).

Cited article: Rounds JM, Rigdon CE, Muhl LJ, Forstner M, Danzeisen GT, Koziol BS, et al. Non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli associated with venison. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2012 Feb [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1802.110855