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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #191827

Title: CROSS-SPECIES TSE TRANSMISSION STUDIES AT NADC

Author
item Hamir, Amirali
item CUTLIP, RANDALL - ARS RETIRED
item MILLER, JANICE - ARS RETIRED
item Kunkle, Robert
item Greenlee, Justin
item Richt, Juergen

Submitted to: International Veterinary Vaccines and Diagnostics Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2006
Publication Date: 6/25/2006
Citation: Hamir, A.N., Cutlip, R.C., Miller, J.M., Kunkle, R.A., Greenlee, J.J., Richt, J.A. 2006. Cross-species TSE transmission studies at NADC [abstract]. 4th International Veterinary Vaccines and Diagnostics Conference. p. 89. Paper No. PO52.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Experimental transmission of TSE agents provides valuable information for identification of potential host ranges, and generates much needed prion infected tissues for research. Such investigations have been conducted at the National Animal Disease Center (NADC) since 1990 and up to now have been confined to scrapie, chronic wasting disease (CWD), and transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME). Following are some of the significant findings of past experiments at NADC: -Intracerebral inoculation of cattle with brain from sheep with scrapie resulted in neurologic disease that was distinct from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). -Oral inoculation of cattle with brain from sheep with scrapie did not result in clinical disease during eight years of observation. -Intracerebral inoculation of elk with brain from sheep with scrapie resulted in disease with lesions that could not be distinguished from chronic wasting disease (CWD) of elk. -Intracerebral inoculation of 13 cattle and 8 sheep with brain from mule deer with CWD resulted in disease in 5 cattle and 2 sheep. -Intracerebral inoculation of cattle with brain from mink with TME resulted in lesions that would not be easily distinguished from BSE. -Intracerebral inoculation of raccoons with brain from mink with TME resulted in disease. -Intracerebral inoculation of raccoons with brain from sheep with scrapie resulted in disease. -Intracerebral inoculation of raccoons with brain from mule deer with CWD resulted in no disease. -A significant conclusion of this series of interspecies transmission studies is the host species inoculated with a TSE from another species, dictates the pathogenesis in terms of tissue distribution of PrP**Sc regardless of the source of inoculum used to infect.