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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #240076
Title: Experimental Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) from Elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) and White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to Fallow Deer (Dama dama) by Intracerebral Route: Final Report

Author
item Hamir, Amirali
item Greenlee, Justin
item Nicholson, Eric
item Kunkle, Robert
item Richt, Juergen
item Miller, Janice
item HALL, S - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

Submitted to: Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2010
Publication Date: 4/1/2011
Citation: Hamir, A.N., Greenlee, J.J., Nicholson, E.M., Kunkle, R.A., Richt, J.A., Miller, J.M., Hall, M. 2011. Experimental transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) from elk and white-tailed deer to fallow deer by intracerebral route: final report. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. 75(2):152-156.

Interpretive Summary: In this communication we report final observations on experimental transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) from elk and white-tailed deer to fallow deer. The study was terminated 5 years after it was initiated. Thirteen fawns were inoculated intracerebrally with CWD-infected brain material from white-tailed deer (n = 7) or elk (n = 6) and 3 other fawns were kept as uninoculated controls. This study demonstrates that brain-inoculated fallow deer do amplify CWD prions from white tailed-deer and elk and that there may be some differences in these two inocula.

Technical Abstract: In this communication we report final observations on experimental transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) from elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) and white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to fallow deer (Dama dama). The study was terminated 5 years after it was initiated. Thirteen fawns were inoculated intracerebrally with CWD infected brain material from white tailed deer (n = 7) or elk (n = 6) and 3 other fawns were kept as uninoculated controls. Three CWD inoculated deer were euthanized at 7.6 months post inoculation (MPI). None revealed presence of abnormal prion protein (PrP**d) in their tissues. At 24 and 26 MPI one sick deer died and one non clinical deer was euthanized, respectively. Both animals had a small focal accumulation of PrP**d in their midbrains. Between 29 and 37 MPI, three other deer became sick and were euthanized. All had shown gradual decrease in appetite and some loss of body weight. The five remaining deer became sick and were euthanized between 51 and 60 MPI. Microscopic lesions of spongiform encephalopathy (SE) were observed in only five animals that were euthanized after 51 MPI. However, PrP**d was detected in tissues of the central nervous system by immunohistochemistry, Western blot and by commercial rapid test in all animals that survived beyond 24 MPI. This study demonstrates that intracerebrally inoculated fallow deer do amplify CWD prions from white tailed deer and elk and that there may be some differences in these two inocula.