Wednesday, March 04, 2015
Disease sampling results provide current snapshot of CWD in Wisconsin
MADISON - State wildlife officials sampled more than 5,400 deer for chronic 
wasting disease statewide in 2014, finding 324 positive detections, primarily 
within the endemic area in southern Wisconsin. 
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has monitored trends in 
chronic wasting disease distribution and prevalence within Wisconsin since its 
discovery in 2002. In 2014, focus was placed upon deer population segments 
within locations deemed most likely to harbor the disease. 
"Long-term monitoring of disease patterns is crucial in understanding the 
dynamics of this CWD, and it's also important to make sure we keep the public 
informed," said Tami Ryan, DNR wildlife health section chief. 
Within the Southwest Wisconsin monitoring area, encompassing Northwestern 
Dane and Northeastern Iowa counties, prevalence was found to be 25 percent for 
adult (2.5+ years-old) male white-tailed deer, over 10 percent for adult female 
deer, roughly 8 percent in yearling males, and nearly 7 percent in yearling 
females.
According to Ryan, prevalence continues to increase within the department's 
long-term monitoring area in Southwest Wisconsin, and remains higher in males 
than females and higher in adults than yearlings. 
Monitoring efforts also included ongoing surveillance within a 10-mile 
radius of the each new positive found in 2012 in Juneau, Adams and Portage 
counties in central Wisconsin. Four additional positives were found in 2013 in 
Adams and Portage counties, while two additional positives were discovered in 
Adams County in 2014. 
Surveillance was also conducted surrounding a CWD-positive captive deer 
farm in Marathon County, with no wild CWD deer detected.
Following the 2012 discovery of a CWD-positive adult doe near Shell Lake, 
2014 marked the third year of surveillance efforts in Washburn County in 
Northwest Wisconsin. Following recommendations from a local community action 
team, local landowners and hunters helped the department sample more than 1,900 
deer in the area over the last three years. No new positives have been detected. 
Based on three years of sampling, all information has indicated CWD is not 
widespread in the Washburn area, and occurs at a very low prevalence rate. 
"The department is very grateful for the cooperation that hunters and 
landowners have provided over 13 years of sampling," said Ryan. "They are 
helping monitor the health of Wisconsin's deer herds and providing information 
that is of interest to many." 
For 2014 sampling and prevalence and more information regarding chronic 
wasting disease and, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov for keyword "CWD." 
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tami Ryan, DNR Wildlife Health section chief, 
608-266-3143 
Tuesday, October 07, 2014 
*** Wisconsin white-tailed deer tested positive for CWD on a Richland 
County breeding farm, and a case of CWD has been discovered on a Marathon County 
hunting preserve 
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 
 CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD WISCONSIN Almond Deer (Buckhorn Flats) Farm 
Update DECEMBER 2011 
 The CWD infection rate was nearly 80%, the highest ever in a North 
American captive herd. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board approve the purchase of 80 
acres of land for $465,000 for the Statewide Wildlife Habitat Program in Portage 
County and approve the restrictions on public use of the site. 
 SUMMARY: 
 Friday, April 04, 2014 
 Wisconsin State officials kept silent on CWD discovery at game farm 
 Tuesday, March 25, 2014 
 Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin White-Tailed Deer: 
Implications for Disease Spread and Management 
 *** However, we also note that CWD transmission rates and prevalence are 
much higher in captive deer farms than has been reported in wild populations 
[67]. 
 Tuesday, February 11, 2014 
 *** Wisconsin tracks 81 deer from game farm with CWD buck to seven other 
states 
 Monday, December 02, 2013 
 WISCONSIN CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD DISCOVERED MARATHON COUNTY HUNTING 
PRESERVE 
 Tuesday, December 17, 2013 
 Wisconsin Second CWD positive deer found in Grant County 
 Friday, February 03, 2012 
 Wisconsin Farm-Raised Deer Farms and CWD there from 2012 report Singeltary 
et al 
 Monday, January 16, 2012 
 9 GAME FARMS IN WISCONSIN TEST POSITIVE FOR CWD 
2010 WISCONSIN CAPTIVE DEER ESCAPES 
 There were 26 reported escape incidents so far this year, this amounted to 
20 actual confirmed escape incidents because 3 were previously reported, 2 were 
confirmed as wild deer, and 1 incident was not confirmed. ... 
 snip... 
 C. & D. Captive Cervid and Law Enforcement Update (11:10 AM)- Warden 
Pete Dunn gave the captive cervid farm update. 
 There were 26 reported escape incidents so far this year, this amounted to 
20 actual confirmed escape incidents because 3 were previously reported, 2 were 
confirmed as wild deer, and 1 incident was not confirmed. Approximately 30% of 
these escapes were caused by gates being left open and the other 70% resulted 
from bad fencing or fence related issues. The 20 actual confirmed escape 
incidents amounted to 77 total animals. 50 of the escaped animals were recovered 
or killed and 27 were not recovered and remain unaccounted for. Last year the 
CWD Committee passed a resolution to require double gates, but this has not gone 
into effect yet. Questions were raised by the committee about double fencing 
requirements? Pete responded that double fencing has not been practical or 
accepted by the industry. The DNR has the authority to do fence inspections. ? 
If a fence fails to pass the inspection the fencing certificate can be revoked 
and the farmer can be issued a citation. This year three citations and one 
warning have been issued for escapes. Pete reviewed the reporting requirements 
for escape incidents that these must be reported within 24 hours. The farmer 
then has 72 hours to recover the animals or else it will affect the farm’s herd 
status and ability to move animals. Davin proposed in the 15 year CWD Plan that 
the DNR take total control and regulatory authority over all deer farm fencing. 
Larry Gohlke asked Pete about the reliability for reporting escapes? Pete said 
that the majority of escapes were reported by the farmer, but it is very 
difficult to determine when an escape actually occurred. Pete said that they are 
more concerned that an escape is reported and not that it is reported at the 
exact time that it happened. 
 Wisconsin : 436 Deer Have Escaped From Farms to Wild 
 Date: March 18, 2003 Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 
 Contacts: LEE BERGQUIST lbergquist@journalsentinel.com 
 State finds violations, lax record keeping at many sites, report says 
 A state inspection of private deer farms, prompted by the discovery of 
chronic wasting disease, found that 436 white-tailed deer escaped into the wild, 
officials said Tuesday 
 The Department of Natural Resources found that captive deer have escaped 
from one-third of the state's 550 deer farms over the lifetime of the 
operations. The agency also uncovered hundreds of violations and has sought a 
total of 60 citations or charges against deer farm operators. 
 snip... 
 CWD found on 2 farms 
 Seven deer have tested positive for the disease on game farms - one on a 
Portage County farm and six on a Walworth County farm - since the disease was 
discovered in three wild deer killed near Mount Horeb in western Dane County. 
One deer that tested positive on the Walworth County farm escaped and roamed 
free for six months. 
 snip... 
 The audit found that most farms were in compliance, but the DNR found many 
violations and instances of poor record keeping. Also in numerous instances, 
fences did not stop wild and captive deer from intermingling. 
 At least 227 farms conducted part of their business on a cash basis, 
making it hard to track animal movement with financial records. 
 For example, both the Internal Revenue Service and the state Department of 
Revenue have been contacted about a deer farm near Wild Rose in Waushara County 
that is suspected of selling six large bucks for $45,000 in cash and not using 
live deer shipping tags as required. 
 The DNR found that game farm operators have more deer in captivity than 
their records show, which is "due in part because the owners of a number of 
large deer farm operations were! unable to accurately count the number of deer 
within their fences," the audit found. 
 Hundreds of deer escape 
 The DNR found a total of 671 deer that escaped farms - 436 of which were 
never found - because of storm-damaged fences, gates being left open or the 
animals jumping over or through fences. 
 In one example in Kewaunee County, a deer farmer's fence was knocked down 
in a summer storm. Ten deer escaped, and the farmer told the DNR he had no 
intention of trying to reclaim them. The DNR found five of the deer, killed them 
and cited the farmer for violation of a regulation related to fencing. 
 Another deer farmer near Mishicot, in Manitowoc County, released all nine 
of his whitetails last summer after he believed the discovery of chronic wasting 
disease was going to drive down the market for captive deer. 
 The DNR found 24 instances of unlicensed deer farms and issued 19 
citations. 
 Journal Sentinel correspondent Kevin Murphy contributed to this report. 
 Game Farms Inspected 
 A summary of the findings of the Department of Natural Resources' 
inspection of 550 private white-tailed deer farms in the state: The deer farms 
contained at least 16,070 deer, but the DNR believes there are more deer in 
captivity than that because large deer farms are unable to accurately count 
their deer. 671 deer had escaped from game farms, including 436 that were never 
found. 
 24 farmers were unlicensed. One had been operating illegally since 1999 
after he was denied a license because his deer fence did not meet minimum 
specifications. 
 Records maintained by operators ranged from "meticulous documentation to 
relying on memory." At least 227 farms conducted various portions of their deer 
farm business with cash. Over the last three years, 1,222 deer died on farms for 
various reasons. Disease testing was not performed nor required on the majority 
of deer. Farmers reported doing business with people in 22 other states and one 
Canadian province. Click these links for more information 
 The initial discovery at Wilderness Whitetails was the first in five 
years. In trying to explain the sudden appearance, McGraw cited several 
possibilities for transmission, including the chance it occurred spontaneously. 
 That drew attention of Clausen and wildlife staff at the DNR. Clausen said 
he knew of no peer-reviewed research showing the disease turned up that way. 
 Tami Ryan, wildlife health section chief with the DNR, asked the 
agriculture department to back up the claim. 
 Richard Bourie, a veterinarian, pointed to a paper by Nobel Laureate 
Stanley Prusiner of the University of California, San Francisco, who discussed 
spontaneous occurrence in TSEs. 
 *** Ryan wrote back and said, "to the best of our collective knowledge, 
spontaneous CWD in wild deer has not been substantiated," although she said the 
DNR wasn't trying to pick a fight. 
 Said McGraw: "There is no battle going on here. We all read science here. 
Everybody looks at different possibilities." 
 Saturday, February 04, 2012 
 *** Wisconsin 16 age limit on testing dead deer Game Farm CWD Testing 
Protocol Needs To Be Revised 
 Approximately 4,200 fawns, defined as deer under 1 year of age, were 
sampled from the eradication zone over the last year. The majority of fawns 
sampled were between the ages of 5 to 9 months, though some were as young as 1 
month. 
 *** Two of the six fawns with CWD detected were 5 to 6 months old. 
 All six of the positive fawns were taken from the core area of the CWD 
eradication zone where the highest numbers of positive deer have been 
identified. 
 Wednesday, September 04, 2013 
 ***cwd - cervid captive livestock escapes, loose and on the run in the 
wild... 
 ”The occurrence of CWD must be viewed against the contest of the locations 
in which it occurred. It was an incidental and unwelcome complication of the 
respective wildlife research programmes. Despite it’s subsequent recognition as 
a new disease of cervids, therefore justifying direct investigation, no specific 
research funding was forthcoming. The USDA veiwed it as a wildlife problem and 
consequently not their province!” ...page 26. 
 Sunday, January 06, 2013 
 USDA TO PGC ONCE CAPTIVES ESCAPE 
 *** "it‘s no longer its business.” 
 Monday, June 24, 2013 
 The Effects of Chronic Wasting Disease on the Pennsylvania Cervid Industry 
Following its Discovery 
 Sunday, July 13, 2014 
Louisiana deer mystery unleashes litigation 6 does still missing from CWD 
index herd in Pennsylvania Great Escape 
Saturday, June 29, 2013 
PENNSYLVANIA CAPTIVE CWD INDEX HERD MATE YELLOW *47 STILL RUNNING LOOSE IN 
INDIANA, YELLOW NUMBER 2 STILL MISSING, AND OTHERS ON THE RUN STILL IN LOUISIANA 
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 
*** CWD GONE WILD, More cervid escapees from more shooting pens on the 
loose in Pennsylvania 
Wednesday, September 04, 2013 
***cwd - cervid captive livestock escapes, loose and on the run in the 
wild... 
Friday, January 30, 2015
*** Scrapie: a particularly persistent pathogen ***
Tuesday, January 06, 2015 
APHIS Provides Additional Information on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) 
Indemnity Requests January 5, 2015 05:26 PM EST
Saturday, January 31, 2015 
European red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus) are susceptible to Bovine 
Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE by Oral Alimentary route
*** Singeltary reply ; 
ruminant feed ban for cervids in the United States ? 
31 Jan 2015 at 20:14 GMT 
*** The potential impact of prion diseases on human health was greatly 
magnified by the recognition that interspecies transfer of BSE to humans by beef 
ingestion resulted in vCJD. While changes in animal feed constituents and 
slaughter practices appear to have curtailed vCJD, there is concern that CWD of 
free-ranging deer and elk in the U.S. might also cross the species barrier. 
Thus, consuming venison could be a source of human prion disease. Whether BSE 
and CWD represent interspecies scrapie transfer or are newly arisen prion 
diseases is unknown. Therefore, the possibility of transmission of prion disease 
through other food animals cannot be ruled out. There is evidence that vCJD can 
be transmitted through blood transfusion. There is likely a pool of unknown size 
of asymptomatic individuals infected with vCJD, and there may be asymptomatic 
individuals infected with the CWD equivalent. These circumstances represent a 
potential threat to blood, blood products, and plasma supplies. 
please see latest science. science is a wonderful thing, except the game 
farmers just hate sound science...tss 
Monday, November 3, 2014 
Persistence of ovine scrapie infectivity in a farm environment following 
cleaning and decontamination
*** Conclusion. CWD prions (as inferred by prion seeding activity by 
RT-QuIC) are shed in urine of infected deer as early as 6 months post 
inoculation and throughout the subsequent disease course. Further studies are in 
progress refining the real-time urinary prion assay sensitivity and we are 
examining more closely the excretion time frame, magnitude, and sample variables 
in relationship to inoculation route and prionemia in naturally and 
experimentally CWD-infected cervids.
*** Conclusions. During the pre-symptomatic stage of CWD infection and 
throughout the course of disease deer may be shedding multiple LD50 doses per 
day in their saliva. CWD prion shedding through saliva and excreta may account 
for the unprecedented spread of this prion disease in nature. Acknowledgments. 
Supported by NIH grant RO1-NS-061902 and grant D12ZO-045 from the Morris Animal 
Foundation.
*** We conclude that TSE infectivity is likely to survive burial for long 
time periods with minimal loss of infectivity and limited movement from the 
original burial site. However PMCA results have shown that there is the 
potential for rainwater to elute TSE related material from soil which could lead 
to the contamination of a wider area. These experiments reinforce the importance 
of risk assessment when disposing of TSE risk materials. 
*** The results show that even highly diluted PrPSc can bind efficiently to 
polypropylene, stainless steel, glass, wood and stone and propagate the 
conversion of normal prion protein. For in vivo experiments, hamsters were ic 
injected with implants incubated in 1% 263K-infected brain homogenate. Hamsters, 
inoculated with 263K-contaminated implants of all groups, developed typical 
signs of prion disease, whereas control animals inoculated with non-contaminated 
materials did not.
PRION 2014 CONFERENCE
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD 
A FEW FINDINGS ; 
Conclusions. To our knowledge, this is the first established experimental 
model of CWD in TgSB3985. We found evidence for co-existence or divergence of 
two CWD strains adapted to Tga20 mice and their replication in TgSB3985 mice. 
Finally, we observed phenotypic differences between cervid-derived CWD and 
CWD/Tg20 strains upon propagation in TgSB3985 mice. Further studies are underway 
to characterize these strains. 
We conclude that TSE infectivity is likely to survive burial for long time 
periods with minimal loss of infectivity and limited movement from the original 
burial site. However PMCA results have shown that there is the potential for 
rainwater to elute TSE related material from soil which could lead to the 
contamination of a wider area. These experiments reinforce the importance of 
risk assessment when disposing of TSE risk materials. 
The results show that even highly diluted PrPSc can bind efficiently to 
polypropylene, stainless steel, glass, wood and stone and propagate the 
conversion of normal prion protein. For in vivo experiments, hamsters were ic 
injected with implants incubated in 1% 263K-infected brain homogenate. Hamsters, 
inoculated with 263K-contaminated implants of all groups, developed typical 
signs of prion disease, whereas control animals inoculated with non-contaminated 
materials did not.
Our data establish that meadow voles are permissive to CWD via peripheral 
exposure route, suggesting they could serve as an environmental reservoir for 
CWD. Additionally, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that at least two 
strains of CWD circulate in naturally-infected cervid populations and provide 
evidence that meadow voles are a useful tool for CWD strain typing. 
Conclusion. CWD prions are shed in saliva and urine of infected deer as 
early as 3 months post infection and throughout the subsequent >1.5 year 
course of infection. In current work we are examining the relationship of 
prionemia to excretion and the impact of excreted prion binding to surfaces and 
particulates in the environment.
*** Conclusion. CWD prions (as inferred by prion seeding activity by 
RT-QuIC) are shed in urine of infected deer as early as 6 months post 
inoculation and throughout the subsequent disease course. Further studies are in 
progress refining the real-time urinary prion assay sensitivity and we are 
examining more closely the excretion time frame, magnitude, and sample variables 
in relationship to inoculation route and prionemia in naturally and 
experimentally CWD-infected cervids.
Conclusions. Our results suggested that the odds of infection for CWD is 
likely controlled by areas that congregate deer thus increasing direct 
transmission (deer-to-deer interactions) or indirect transmission 
(deer-to-environment) by sharing or depositing infectious prion proteins in 
these preferred habitats. Epidemiology of CWD in the eastern U.S. is likely 
controlled by separate factors than found in the Midwestern and endemic areas 
for CWD and can assist in performing more efficient surveillance efforts for the 
region.
Conclusions. During the pre-symptomatic stage of CWD infection and 
throughout the course of disease deer may be shedding multiple LD50 doses per 
day in their saliva. CWD prion shedding through saliva and excreta may account 
for the unprecedented spread of this prion disease in nature. 
see full text and more ; 
Monday, June 23, 2014 
*** PRION 2014 CONFERENCE CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD 
*** Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at 
least 16 years***
Gudmundur Georgsson1, Sigurdur Sigurdarson2 and Paul Brown3 
New studies on the heat resistance of hamster-adapted scrapie agent: 
Threshold survival after ashing at 600°C suggests an inorganic template of 
replication 
Prion Infected Meat-and-Bone Meal Is Still Infectious after Biodiesel 
Production 
Detection of protease-resistant cervid prion protein in water from a 
CWD-endemic area 
A Quantitative Assessment of the Amount of Prion Diverted to Category 1 
Materials and Wastewater During Processing 
Rapid assessment of bovine spongiform encephalopathy prion inactivation by 
heat treatment in yellow grease produced in the industrial manufacturing process 
of meat and bone meals 
Friday, December 14, 2012 
DEFRA U.K. What is the risk of Chronic Wasting Disease CWD being introduced 
into Great Britain? A Qualitative Risk Assessment October 2012 
Sunday, December 21, 2014 
Mucosal immunization with an attenuated Salmonella vaccine partially 
protects white-tailed deer from chronic wasting disease 
Friday, December 19, 2014 
Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise Inc. (PREVENT) Conducting a Chronic 
Wasting Disease (CWD) Vaccine Efficacy Trial in Elk 
Saturday, October 25, 2014 
118th USAHA Annual Meeting CWD and Captive Cerivds 
Tuesday, December 16, 2014 
Evidence for zoonotic potential of ovine scrapie prions 
Hervé Cassard,1, n1 Juan-Maria Torres,2, n1 Caroline Lacroux,1, Jean-Yves 
Douet,1, Sylvie L. Benestad,3, Frédéric Lantier,4, Séverine Lugan,1, Isabelle 
Lantier,4, Pierrette Costes,1, Naima Aron,1, Fabienne Reine,5, Laetitia 
Herzog,5, Juan-Carlos Espinosa,2, Vincent Beringue5, & Olivier Andréoletti1, 
Affiliations Contributions Corresponding author Journal name: Nature 
Communications Volume: 5, Article number: 5821 DOI: doi:10.1038/ncomms6821 
Received 07 August 2014 Accepted 10 November 2014 Published 16 December 2014 
Article tools Citation Reprints Rights & permissions Article metrics 
Abstract 
Although Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is the cause of variant 
Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, the zoonotic potential of scrapie 
prions remains unknown. Mice genetically engineered to overexpress the human 
prion protein (tgHu) have emerged as highly relevant models for gauging the 
capacity of prions to transmit to humans. These models can propagate human 
prions without any apparent transmission barrier and have been used used to 
confirm the zoonotic ability of BSE. Here we show that a panel of sheep scrapie 
prions transmit to several tgHu mice models with an efficiency comparable to 
that of cattle BSE. The serial transmission of different scrapie isolates in 
these mice led to the propagation of prions that are phenotypically identical to 
those causing sporadic CJD (sCJD) in humans. These results demonstrate that 
scrapie prions have a zoonotic potential and raise new questions about the 
possible link between animal and human prions.
Subject terms: Biological sciences• Medical research At a glance
why do we not want to do TSE transmission studies on chimpanzees $ 
5. A positive result from a chimpanzee challenged severly would likely 
create alarm in some circles even if the result could not be interpreted for 
man. I have a view that all these agents could be transmitted provided a large 
enough dose by appropriate routes was given and the animals kept long enough. 
Until the mechanisms of the species barrier are more clearly understood it might 
be best to retain that hypothesis. 
snip... 
R. BRADLEY 
Suspect symptoms
What if you can catch old-fashioned CJD by eating meat from a sheep 
infected with scrapie?
28 Mar 01 Most doctors believe that sCJD is caused by a prion protein 
deforming by chance into a killer. But Singeltary thinks otherwise. He is one of 
a number of campaigners who say that some sCJD, like the variant CJD related to 
BSE, is caused by eating meat from infected animals. Their suspicions have 
focused on sheep carrying scrapie, a BSE-like disease that is widespread in 
flocks across Europe and North America.
Now scientists in France have stumbled across new evidence that adds weight 
to the campaigners' fears. To their complete surprise, the researchers found 
that one strain of scrapie causes the same brain damage in mice as sCJD.
"This means we cannot rule out that at least some sCJD may be caused by 
some strains of scrapie," says team member Jean-Philippe Deslys of the French 
Atomic Energy Commission's medical research laboratory in Fontenay-aux-Roses, 
south-west of Paris. Hans Kretschmar of the University of Göttingen, who 
coordinates CJD surveillance in Germany, is so concerned by the findings that he 
now wants to trawl back through past sCJD cases to see if any might have been 
caused by eating infected mutton or lamb...
2001
Suspect symptoms 
What if you can catch old-fashioned CJD by eating meat from a sheep 
infected with scrapie? 
28 Mar 01 
Like lambs to the slaughter 
31 March 2001 
by Debora MacKenzie Magazine issue 2284. 
FOUR years ago, Terry Singeltary watched his mother die horribly from a 
degenerative brain disease. Doctors told him it was Alzheimer's, but Singeltary 
was suspicious. The diagnosis didn't fit her violent symptoms, and he demanded 
an autopsy. It showed she had died of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Most doctors believe that sCJD is caused by a prion protein deforming by 
chance into a killer. But Singeltary thinks otherwise. He is one of a number of 
campaigners who say that some sCJD, like the variant CJD related to BSE, is 
caused by eating meat from infected animals. Their suspicions have focused on 
sheep carrying scrapie, a BSE-like disease that is widespread in flocks across 
Europe and North America.
Now scientists in France have stumbled across new evidence that adds weight 
to the campaigners' fears. To their complete surprise, the researchers found 
that one strain of scrapie causes the same brain damage in mice as sCJD.
"This means we cannot rule out that at least some sCJD may be caused by 
some strains of scrapie," says team member Jean-Philippe Deslys of the French 
Atomic Energy Commission's medical research laboratory in Fontenay-aux-Roses, 
south-west of Paris. Hans Kretschmar of the University of Göttingen, who 
coordinates CJD surveillance in Germany, is so concerned by the findings that he 
now wants to trawl back through past sCJD cases to see if any might have been 
caused by eating infected mutton or lamb.
Scrapie has been around for centuries and until now there has been no 
evidence that it poses a risk to human health. But if the French finding means 
that scrapie can cause sCJD in people, countries around the world may have 
overlooked a CJD crisis to rival that caused by BSE.
Deslys and colleagues were originally studying vCJD, not sCJD. They 
injected the brains of macaque monkeys with brain from BSE cattle, and from 
French and British vCJD patients. The brain damage and clinical symptoms in the 
monkeys were the same for all three. Mice injected with the original sets of 
brain tissue or with infected monkey brain also developed the same 
symptoms.
As a control experiment, the team also injected mice with brain tissue from 
people and animals with other prion diseases: a French case of sCJD; a French 
patient who caught sCJD from human-derived growth hormone; sheep with a French 
strain of scrapie; and mice carrying a prion derived from an American scrapie 
strain. As expected, they all affected the brain in a different way from BSE and 
vCJD. But while the American strain of scrapie caused different damage from 
sCJD, the French strain produced exactly the same pathology.
"The main evidence that scrapie does not affect humans has been 
epidemiology," says Moira Bruce of the neuropathogenesis unit of the Institute 
for Animal Health in Edinburgh, who was a member of the same team as Deslys. 
"You see about the same incidence of the disease everywhere, whether or not 
there are many sheep, and in countries such as New Zealand with no scrapie." In 
the only previous comparisons of sCJD and scrapie in mice, Bruce found they were 
dissimilar.
But there are more than 20 strains of scrapie, and six of sCJD. "You would 
not necessarily see a relationship between the two with epidemiology if only 
some strains affect only some people," says Deslys. Bruce is cautious about the 
mouse results, but agrees they require further investigation. Other trials of 
scrapie and sCJD in mice, she says, are in progress.
People can have three different genetic variations of the human prion 
protein, and each type of protein can fold up two different ways. Kretschmar has 
found that these six combinations correspond to six clinical types of sCJD: each 
type of normal prion produces a particular pathology when it spontaneously 
deforms to produce sCJD.
But if these proteins deform because of infection with a disease-causing 
prion, the relationship between pathology and prion type should be different, as 
it is in vCJD. "If we look at brain samples from sporadic CJD cases and find 
some that do not fit the pattern," says Kretschmar, "that could mean they were 
caused by infection."
There are 250 deaths per year from sCJD in the US, and a similar incidence 
elsewhere. Singeltary and other US activists think that some of these people 
died after eating contaminated meat or "nutritional" pills containing dried 
animal brain. Governments will have a hard time facing activists like Singeltary 
if it turns out that some sCJD isn't as spontaneous as doctors have 
insisted.
Deslys's work on macaques also provides further proof that the human 
disease vCJD is caused by BSE. And the experiments showed that vCJD is much more 
virulent to primates than BSE, even when injected into the bloodstream rather 
than the brain. This, says Deslys, means that there is an even bigger risk than 
we thought that vCJD can be passed from one patient to another through 
contaminated blood transfusions and surgical instruments.
Friday, January 30, 2015
*** Scrapie: a particularly persistent pathogen ***
Monday, November 3, 2014 
Persistence of ovine scrapie infectivity in a farm environment following 
cleaning and decontamination
PPo3-22:
Detection of Environmentally Associated PrPSc on a Farm with Endemic 
Scrapie
Ben C. Maddison,1 Claire A. Baker,1 Helen C. Rees,1 Linda A. Terry,2 Leigh 
Thorne,2 Susan J. Belworthy2 and Kevin C. Gough3 1ADAS-UK LTD; Department of 
Biology; University of Leicester; Leicester, UK; 2Veterinary Laboratories 
Agency; Surry, KT UK; 3Department of Veterinary Medicine and Science; University 
of Nottingham; Sutton Bonington, Loughborough UK
Key words: scrapie, evironmental persistence, sPMCA
Ovine scrapie shows considerable horizontal transmission, yet the routes of 
transmission and specifically the role of fomites in transmission remain poorly 
defined. Here we present biochemical data demonstrating that on a 
scrapie-affected sheep farm, scrapie prion contamination is widespread. It was 
anticipated at the outset that if prions contaminate the environment that they 
would be there at extremely low levels, as such the most sensitive method 
available for the detection of PrPSc, serial Protein Misfolding Cyclic 
Amplification (sPMCA), was used in this study. We investigated the distribution 
of environmental scrapie prions by applying ovine sPMCA to samples taken from a 
range of surfaces that were accessible to animals and could be collected by use 
of a wetted foam swab. Prion was amplified by sPMCA from a number of these 
environmental swab samples including those taken from metal, plastic and wooden 
surfaces, both in the indoor and outdoor environment. At the time of sampling 
there had been no sheep contact with these areas for at least 20 days prior to 
sampling indicating that prions persist for at least this duration in the 
environment. These data implicate inanimate objects as environmental reservoirs 
of prion infectivity which are likely to contribute to disease transmission. 
2012 
PO-039: A comparison of scrapie and chronic wasting disease in white-tailed 
deer 
Justin Greenlee, Jodi Smith, Eric Nicholson US Dept. Agriculture; 
Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center; Ames, IA USA 
snip...
The results of this study suggest that there are many similarities in the 
manifestation of CWD and scrapie in WTD after IC inoculation including early and 
widespread presence of PrPSc in lymphoid tissues, clinical signs of depression 
and weight loss progressing to wasting, and an incubation time of 21-23 months. 
Moreover, western blots (WB) done on brain material from the obex region have a 
molecular profile similar to CWD and distinct from tissues of the cerebrum or 
the scrapie inoculum. However, results of microscopic and IHC examination 
indicate that there are differences between the lesions expected in CWD and 
those that occur in deer with scrapie: amyloid plaques were not noted in any 
sections of brain examined from these deer and the pattern of immunoreactivity 
by IHC was diffuse rather than plaque-like. 
*** After a natural route of exposure, 100% of WTD were susceptible to 
scrapie. 
Deer developed clinical signs of wasting and mental depression and were 
necropsied from 28 to 33 months PI. Tissues from these deer were positive for 
PrPSc by IHC and WB. Similar to IC inoculated deer, samples from these deer 
exhibited two different molecular profiles: samples from obex resembled CWD 
whereas those from cerebrum were similar to the original scrapie inoculum. On 
further examination by WB using a panel of antibodies, the tissues from deer 
with scrapie exhibit properties differing from tissues either from sheep with 
scrapie or WTD with CWD. Samples from WTD with CWD or sheep with scrapie are 
strongly immunoreactive when probed with mAb P4, however, samples from WTD with 
scrapie are only weakly immunoreactive. In contrast, when probed with mAb’s 6H4 
or SAF 84, samples from sheep with scrapie and WTD with CWD are weakly 
immunoreactive and samples from WTD with scrapie are strongly positive. This 
work demonstrates that WTD are highly susceptible to sheep scrapie, but on first 
passage, scrapie in WTD is differentiable from CWD. 
2011 
*** After a natural route of exposure, 100% of white-tailed deer were 
susceptible to scrapie. 
>>>CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE , THERE WAS NO ABSOLUTE BARRIER TO 
CONVERSION OF THE HUMAN PRION PROTEIN<<< 
*** PRICE OF CWD TSE PRION POKER GOES UP 2014 *** 
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE PRION update January 2, 2014 
Wednesday, January 01, 2014 
Molecular Barriers to Zoonotic Transmission of Prions 
*** chronic wasting disease, there was no absolute barrier to conversion of 
the human prion protein. 
*** Furthermore, the form of human PrPres produced in this in vitro assay 
when seeded with CWD, resembles that found in the most common human prion 
disease, namely sCJD of the MM1 subtype. 
PRION2013 CONGRESSIONAL ABSTRACTS CWD 
Sunday, August 25, 2013 
HD.13: CWD infection in the spleen of humanized transgenic mice 
***These results indicate that the CWD prion may have the potential to 
infect human peripheral lymphoid tissues. 
Oral.15: Molecular barriers to zoonotic prion transmission: Comparison of 
the ability of sheep, cattle and deer prion disease isolates to convert normal 
human prion protein to its pathological isoform in a cell-free system 
***However, they also show that there is no absolute barrier ro conversion of 
human prion protein in the case of chronic wasting disease. 
PRION2013 CONGRESSIONAL ABSTRACTS CWD 
Sunday, August 25, 2013 
***Chronic Wasting Disease CWD risk factors, humans, domestic cats, blood, 
and mother to offspring transmission 
Friday, November 09, 2012 
*** Chronic Wasting Disease CWD in cervidae and transmission to other 
species 
there is in fact evidence that the potential for cwd transmission to humans 
can NOT be ruled out. 
I thought your readers and hunters and those that consume the venison, 
should have all the scientific facts, personally, I don’t care what you eat, but 
if it effects me and my family down the road, it should then concern everyone, 
and the potential of iatrogenic transmission of the TSE prion is real i.e. 
‘friendly fire’, medical, surgical, dental, blood, tissue, and or products there 
from...like deer antler velvet and TSE prions and nutritional supplements there 
from, all a potential risk factor that should not be ignored or silenced. ... 
the prion gods at the cdc state that there is ; 
''no strong evidence'' 
but let's see exactly what the authors of this cwd to human at the cdc 
state ; 
now, let’s see what the authors said about this casual link, personal 
communications years ago. see where it is stated NO STRONG evidence. so, does 
this mean there IS casual evidence ???? 
“Our conclusion stating that we found no strong evidence of CWD 
transmission to humans” 
From: TSS (216-119-163-189.ipset45.wt.net) 
Subject: CWD aka MAD DEER/ELK TO HUMANS ??? 
Date: September 30, 2002 at 7:06 am PST 
From: "Belay, Ermias" 
To: 
Cc: "Race, Richard (NIH)" ; ; "Belay, Ermias" 
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 9:22 AM 
Subject: RE: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS 
Dear Sir/Madam, 
In the Archives of Neurology you quoted (the abstract of which was attached 
to your email), we did not say CWD in humans will present like variant CJD. 
That assumption would be wrong. I encourage you to read the whole article 
and call me if you have questions or need more clarification (phone: 
404-639-3091). Also, we do not claim that "no-one has ever been infected with 
prion disease from eating venison." Our conclusion stating that we found no 
strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans in the article you quoted or in 
any other forum is limited to the patients we investigated. 
Ermias Belay, M.D. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
-----Original Message----- 
From: 
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 10:15 AM 
To: rr26k@nih.gov; rrace@niaid.nih.gov; ebb8@CDC.GOV 
Subject: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS 
Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:26 PM ......snip........end..............TSS 
Thursday, April 03, 2008 
A prion disease of cervids: Chronic wasting disease 
2008 1: Vet Res. 2008 Apr 3;39(4):41 
A prion disease of cervids: Chronic wasting disease 
Sigurdson CJ. 
snip... 
*** twenty-seven CJD patients who regularly consumed venison were reported 
to the Surveillance Center***, 
snip... 
full text ; 
***********CJD REPORT 1994 increased risk for consumption of veal and 
venison and lamb*********** 
CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIRD ANNUAL 
REPORT AUGUST 1994 
Consumption of venison and veal was much less widespread among both cases 
and controls. For both of these meats there was evidence of a trend with 
increasing frequency of consumption being associated with increasing risk of 
CJD. (not nvCJD, but sporadic CJD...tss) 
These associations were largely unchanged when attention was restricted to 
pairs with data obtained from relatives. ... 
Table 9 presents the results of an analysis of these data. 
There is STRONG evidence of an association between ‘’regular’’ veal eating 
and risk of CJD (p = .0.01). 
Individuals reported to eat veal on average at least once a year appear to 
be at 13 TIMES THE RISK of individuals who have never eaten veal. 
There is, however, a very wide confidence interval around this estimate. 
There is no strong evidence that eating veal less than once per year is 
associated with increased risk of CJD (p = 0.51). 
The association between venison eating and risk of CJD shows similar 
pattern, with regular venison eating associated with a 9 FOLD INCREASE IN RISK 
OF CJD (p = 0.04). 
There is some evidence that risk of CJD INCREASES WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY 
OF LAMB EATING (p = 0.02). 
The evidence for such an association between beef eating and CJD is weaker 
(p = 0.14). When only controls for whom a relative was interviewed are included, 
this evidence becomes a little STRONGER (p = 0.08). 
snip... 
It was found that when veal was included in the model with another 
exposure, the association between veal and CJD remained statistically 
significant (p = < 0.05 for all exposures), while the other exposures ceased 
to be statistically significant (p = > 0.05). 
snip... 
In conclusion, an analysis of dietary histories revealed statistical 
associations between various meats/animal products and INCREASED RISK OF CJD. 
When some account was taken of possible confounding, the association between 
VEAL EATING AND RISK OF CJD EMERGED AS THE STRONGEST OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS 
STATISTICALLY. ... 
snip... 
In the study in the USA, a range of foodstuffs were associated with an 
increased risk of CJD, including liver consumption which was associated with an 
apparent SIX-FOLD INCREASE IN THE RISK OF CJD. By comparing the data from 3 
studies in relation to this particular dietary factor, the risk of liver 
consumption became non-significant with an odds ratio of 1.2 (PERSONAL 
COMMUNICATION, PROFESSOR A. HOFMAN. ERASMUS UNIVERSITY, ROTTERDAM). (???...TSS) 
snip...see full report ; 
Thursday, October 10, 2013 
*************CJD REPORT 1994 increased risk for consumption of veal and 
venison and lamb************** 
CJD9/10022 
October 1994 
Mr R.N. Elmhirst Chairman British Deer Farmers Association Holly Lodge 
Spencers Lane BerksWell Coventry CV7 7BZ 
Dear Mr Elmhirst, 
CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE (CJD) SURVEILLANCE UNIT REPORT 
Thank you for your recent letter concerning the publication of the third 
annual report from the CJD Surveillance Unit. I am sorry that you are 
dissatisfied with the way in which this report was published. 
The Surveillance Unit is a completely independant outside body and the 
Department of Health is committed to publishing their reports as soon as they 
become available. In the circumstances it is not the practice to circulate the 
report for comment since the findings of the report would not be amended. In 
future we can ensure that the British Deer Farmers Association receives a copy 
of the report in advance of publication. 
The Chief Medical Officer has undertaken to keep the public fully informed 
of the results of any research in respect of CJD. This report was entirely the 
work of the unit and was produced completely independantly of the the 
Department. 
The statistical results reqarding the consumption of venison was put into 
perspective in the body of the report and was not mentioned at all in the press 
release. Media attention regarding this report was low key but gave a realistic 
presentation of the statistical findings of the Unit. This approach to 
publication was successful in that consumption of venison was highlighted only 
once by the media ie. in the News at one television proqramme. 
I believe that a further statement about the report, or indeed statistical 
links between CJD and consumption of venison, would increase, and quite possibly 
give damaging credence, to the whole issue. From the low key media reports of 
which I am aware it seems unlikely that venison consumption will suffer 
adversely, if at all. 
http://web.archive.org/web/20030511010117/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/10/00003001.pdf 
Tuesday, November 04, 2014 
Six-year follow-up of a point-source exposure to CWD contaminated venison 
in an Upstate New York community: risk behaviours and health outcomes 2005–2011 
Monday, February 23, 2015 
20th BSE Case Raises New Concerns about Canada's Feeding Practices and 
Voluntary Testing Program; Highlights Importance of COOL
 Saturday, February 28, 2015
BSE CANADA UPDATE Transcript - Technical Briefing to Provide an Update on 
Investigation of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in Alberta February 27, 2015 
4:00 p.m. 
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 
Could we spot the next BSE?, asks BVA President 
TSS
    


0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home