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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #181697
Title: PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS OF GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF ELK (CERVUS ELAPHUS NELSONI) TO CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE BY EXPERIMENTAL ORAL INOCULATION

Author
item Hamir, Amirali
item GIDLEWSKI, THOMAS - USDA-APHIS-NVSL-PL
item SPRAKER, TERRY - COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
item MILLER, JANICE - ARS RETIRED
item CREEKMORE, LYNN - USDA-APHIS-VS
item CROCHECK, MICHELE - USDA-APHIS-NVSL-PL
item CLINE, THOMAS - SOUTH DAKOTA ANIMAL INDUS
item O'Rourke, Katherine

Submitted to: Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/25/2005
Publication Date: 1/1/2006
Citation: Hamir, A.N., Gidlewski, T., Spraker, T.R., Miller, J.M., Creekmore, L., Crocheck, M., Cline, T., Orourke, K.I. 2006. Preliminary observations of genetic susceptibility of elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) to chronic wasting disease by experimental oral inoculation. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 18(1):110-114.

Interpretive Summary: To compare genetic susceptibility of elk to chronic wasting disease (CWD), eight 8-month-old elk calves of 3 different genotypes (MM, LM and LL) were orally dosed with CWD infected brain material from elk. Within 23 months after inoculation, both MM animals had lost appetite, developed clinical signs of weight loss, showed nervous system abnormalities and were euthanized. Two other elk (both LM) developed similar clinical signs and were euthanized within 40 months of inoculation. All 4 clinical animals had microscopic lesions of CWD and CWD antigen was detected in their tissues by laboratory tests. These findings demonstrate that elk with MM and LM are susceptible to orally inoculated CWD. All 4 LL elk are alive at 4 years after inoculation and are clinically normal, which suggests that elk may have a reduced susceptibility to oral infection with CWD infected material or may have prolonged incubation times. Results of this study show that when genetically susceptible elk (with MM and LM genotype) are orally inoculated with CWD, they succumb to the disease. On the other hand elk with LL genotype may have a reduced susceptibility to oral infection or may have prolonged incubation times.

Technical Abstract: To compare genetic susceptibility of elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) with different PRNP genotypes to chronic wasting disease (CWD), eight 8-month-old elk calves of 3 genotypes (2 132MM, 2 132LM, and 4 132LL) were orally dosed with CWD infected brain material from elk. Within 23 months post inoculation (PI), both 132MM animals had lost appetite, developed clinical signs of weight loss, showed central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities and were euthanized. Two other elk (both 132LM) developed similar clinical signs and were euthanized within 40 months PI. All 4 clinical animals had microscopic lesions of spongiform encephalopathy (SE) and PrPres was detected in their CNS and lymphoid tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot (WB) techniques. These findings demonstrate that elk with MM and LM at codon 132 are susceptible to orally inoculated CWD. All 4 LL elk are alive at 4 years PI and are clinically normal, which suggests that 132LL elk may have a reduced susceptibility to oral infection with CWD infected material or may have prolonged incubation times.