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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #179044
Title: EXPERIMENTAL TRANSMISSION OF TRANSMISSIBLE MINK ENCEPHALOPATHY (TME) TO CATTLE BY INTRACEREBRAL INOCULATION

Author
item Hamir, Amirali
item Kunkle, Robert
item MILLER, JANICE - ARS RETIRED
item BARTZ, J - CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
item Richt, Juergen

Submitted to: American College of Veterinary Pathologists Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/28/2005
Publication Date: 12/3/2005
Citation: Hamir, A.N., Kunkle, R.A., Miller, J.M., Bartz, J.C., Richt, J.A. 2005. Experimental transmission of transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) to cattle by intracerebral inoculation [abstract]. American College of Veterinary Pathologists Meeting. 42:706.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: To compare clinicopathological findings of transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) with other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE, prion diseases) that have been shown to be experimentally transmissible to cattle (sheep scrapie and chronic wasting disease (CWD), two groups of calves (n = 4 each) were intracerebrally inoculated with TME agents from two different sources (mink-derived TME and bovine-derived TME). Two uninoculated calves served as controls. Within 15.3 months post inoculation (PI), animals from both inoculated groups developed clinical signs of central nervous system (CNS) abnormality. CNS tissues of all infected cattle had microscopic spongiform encephalopathy (SE); and abnormal prion protein (PrP**res) was detected in their CNS tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot (WB) techniques. These findings demonstrate that intracerebrally inoculated cattle not only amplify TME PrP**res but also develop clinical CNS signs and extensive lesions of SE. The latter has not been shown with other cross-species transmitted TSE agents (scrapie and CWD) similarly inoculated into cattle. The findings also demonstrate that the diagnostic techniques currently used for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance would detect TME in cattle should it occur naturally. However, it would be a diagnostic challenge to differentiate TME in cattle from BSE by clinical signs, neuropathology, or by IHC and WB.