TPWD CWD Sample Collector Trainings in the Trans Pecos and Panhandle
News Release Media Contact: TPWD News, news@tpwd.texas.gov,
512-389-8030
Sept. 28, 2016
CWD Sample Collector Trainings in the Trans Pecos and Panhandle AUSTIN –
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Texas Animal Health Commission
(TAHC) and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service have partnered to coordinate
chronic wasting disease (CWD) postmortem sample collector trainings in the Trans
Pecos and Panhandle. As part of the state’s increased CWD surveillance,
officials are providing the opportunity for landowners/managers, taxidermists
and veterinarians to be trained to collect tissues for CWD testing under TAHC’s
Certified CWD Postmortem Sample Collector training program.
Information will be presented in a classroom format and includes hands on
training for sample collection. Trained individuals will then be certified to
sample harvested deer/elk on their properties or for other hunters and provide
those samples to TPWD for CWD testing to meet mandatory testing requirements in
the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle CWD Zones. Space is limited to the first 50
participants for each training. The training class is free and anyone interested
is encouraged to sign up as soon as possible.
CWD postmortem sample collection training is scheduled for the following
dates and locations:
Van Horn Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Van Horn Convention Center, 1801
W Broadway St.
Please contact Lainie Koch at (432) 283-8440 or jekoch@ag.tamu.edu to sign
up for the Trans-Pecos training.
Amarillo Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension Building,
6500 W Amarillo Blvd.
Lunch and snacks will be provided
Please contact Michael Wilkes at (806) 868-3191; mcwilkes@ag.tamu.edu to
sign up for the Panhandle training.
Please visit www.tpwd.texas.gov/cwd for more information about CWD, CWD
management and new CWD regulations.
2016-09-28
Thursday, September 22, 2016
TVMDL offers a new, faster CWD testing option
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
TAHC Passes Authorized Personnel Rule at 396th Commission Meeting
“Certified CWD Sample Collector” to “Certified CWD Postmortem Sample Collector”
Monday, July 18, 2016
Texas Parks Wildlife Dept TPWD HIDING TSE (CWD) in Deer Herds, Farmers
Sampling Own Herds, Rapid Testing, False Negatives, a Recipe for Disaster
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Texas Certified Chronic Wasting Disease CWD Sample Collector, like the Wolf
Guarding the Henhouse
Just got off the phone with TAHC, and I wanted to confirm this. but it
seems true, that in the state of Texas, even if you are a Captive game farmer,
breeder, part of the captive industry at all, if you want to sample your own
cervid for cwd, instead of the TAHC, TPWD, or Doctor, all you have to do is pass
the Certified CWD Sample Collector course, and bingo, you sample your own herd.
...tss
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Texas Important Update on OBEX ONLY TESTING
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), however, asserting
authority under the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 151- 59 (VSTA or Act),
denied Creekstone’s request to purchase or use a BSE test kit.
Scrapie Field Trial Experiments Mission, Texas, The Moore Air Force Base Scrapie Experiment 1964
How Did CWD Get Way Down In Medina County, Texas?
Confucius ponders...
Could the Scrapie experiments back around 1964 at Moore Air Force near
Mission, Texas, could this area have been ground zero for CWD TSE Prion (besides
the CWD cases that have waltzed across the Texas, New Mexico border near WSMR
Trans Pecos region since around 2001)?
Epidemiology of Scrapie in the United States 1977
snip...
Scrapie Field Trial Experiments Mission, Texas
A Scrapie Field Trial was developed at Mission, Texas, to provide
additional information for the eradication program on the epidemiology of
natural scrapie. The Mission Field Trial Station is located on 450 acres of
pastureland, part of the former Moore Air Force Base, near Mission, Texas. It
was designed to bring previously exposed, and later also unexposed, sheep or
goats to the Station and maintain and breed them under close observation for
extended periods to determine which animals would develop scrapie and define
more closely the natural spread and other epidemiological aspects of the
disease.
The 547 previously exposed sheep brought to the Mission Station beginning
in 1964 were of the Cheviot, Hampshire, Montadale, or Suffolk breeds. They were
purchased as field outbreaks occurred, and represented 21 bloodlines in which
scrapie had been diagnosed. Upon arrival at the Station, the sheep were
maintained on pasture, with supplemental feeding as necessary. The station was
divided into 2 areas: (1) a series of pastures and-pens occupied by male animals
only, and (2) a series of pastures and pens occupied by females and young
progeny of both sexes. ...
snip...see full text ;
Thursday, June 09, 2016
Scrapie Field Trial Experiments Mission, Texas, The Moore Air Force Base
Scrapie TSE Prion Experiment 1964
How Did CWD Get Way Down In Medina County, Texas?
Friday, April 22, 2016
*** Texas Scrapie Confirmed in a Hartley County Sheep where CWD was
detected in a Mule Deer
Friday, February 26, 2016
TEXAS Hartley County Mule Deer Tests Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease
CWD TSE Prion
I understand that the 84th Legislation might have made some terrible
mistakes with regards to Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion aka mad cow type
disease, by weakening CWD rules for breeders.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
TEXAS 84th Legislature commencing this January, deer breeders are expected
to advocate for bills that will seek to further deregulate their industry
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Texas 84th Legislature 2015 H.R. No. 2597 Kuempel Deer Breeding Industry
TAHC TPWD CWD TSE PRION
Monday, February 11, 2013
TEXAS CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD Four New Positives Found in Trans Pecos
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in Far West Texas
Monday, March 26, 2012
Texas Prepares for Chronic Wasting Disease CWD Possibility in Far West
Texas
2011 – 2012
Friday, October 28, 2011
CWD Herd Monitoring Program to be Enforced Jan. 2012 TEXAS
Greetings TAHC et al,
A kind greetings from Bacliff, Texas.
In reply to ;
Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) Announcement October 27, 2011
I kindly submit the following ;
***for anyone interested, here is some history of CWD along the Texas, New
Mexico border, and my attempt to keep up with it...terry
snip...
see history CWD Texas, New Mexico Border ;
Monday, March 26, 2012
3 CASES OF CWD FOUND NEW MEXICO MULE DEER SEVERAL MILES FROM TEXAS BORDER
Sunday, October 04, 2009
CWD NEW MEXICO SPREADING SOUTH TO TEXAS 2009 2009 Summary of Chronic
Wasting Disease in New Mexico New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
*** Thursday, September 22, 2016
*** New Mexico CWD confirmed in 5 McGregor Range deer during the 2015-16
hunting season ***
*** Title: Pathological features of chronic wasting disease in reindeer and
demonstration of horizontal transmission ***
Author
item Moore, Sarah item Kunkle, Robert item West greenlee, Mary item
Nicholson, Eric item Richt, Juergen item Hamir, Amirali item Waters, Wade item
Greenlee, Justin
Submitted to: Emerging Infectious Diseases Publication Type: Peer reviewed
journal Publication Acceptance Date: 8/29/2016 Publication Date: N/A Citation:
Interpretive Summary: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal
neurodegenerative disease that occurs in farmed and wild cervids (deer and elk)
of North America and was recently diagnosed in a single free-ranging reindeer
(Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Norway. CWD is a transmissible spongiform
encephalopathy (TSE) that is caused by infectious proteins called prions that
are resistant to various methods of decontamination and environmental
degradation. Little is known about the susceptibility of or potential for
transmission amongst reindeer. In this experiment, we tested the susceptibility
of reindeer to CWD from various sources (elk, mule deer, or white-tailed deer)
after intracranial inoculation and tested the potential for infected reindeer to
transmit to non-inoculated animals by co-housing or housing in adjacent pens.
Reindeer were susceptible to CWD from elk, mule deer, or white-tailed deer
sources after experimental inoculation. Most importantly, non-inoculated
reindeer that were co-housed with infected reindeer or housed in pens adjacent
to infected reindeer but without the potential for nose-to-nose contact also
developed evidence of CWD infection. This is a major new finding that may have a
great impact on the recently diagnosed case of CWD in the only remaining
free-ranging reindeer population in Europe as our findings imply that horizontal
transmission to other reindeer within that herd has already occurred. Further,
this information will help regulatory and wildlife officials developing plans to
reduce or eliminate CWD and cervid farmers that want to ensure that their herd
remains CWD-free, but were previously unsure of the potential for reindeer to
transmit CWD.
Technical Abstract: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a naturally-occurring,
fatal prion disease of cervids. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) are
susceptible to CWD following oral challenge, and CWD was recently reported in a
free-ranging reindeer of Norway. Potential contact between CWD-affected cervids
and Rangifer species that are free-ranging or co-housed on farms presents a
potential risk of CWD transmission. The aims of this study were to 1)
investigate the transmission of CWD from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus
virginianus; CWDwtd), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; CWDmd), or elk (Cervus
elaphus nelsoni; CWDelk) to reindeer via the intracranial route, and 2) to
assess for direct and indirect horizontal transmission to non-inoculated
sentinels. Three groups of 5 reindeer fawns were challenged intracranially with
CWDwtd, CWDmd, or CWDelk. Two years after challenge of inoculated reindeer,
non-inoculated negative control reindeer were introduced into the same pen as
the CWDwtd inoculated reindeer (direct contact; n=4) or into a pen adjacent to
the CWDmd inoculated reindeer (indirect contact; n=2). Experimentally inoculated
reindeer were allowed to develop clinical disease. At death/euthanasia a
complete necropsy examination was performed, including immunohistochemical
testing of tissues for disease-associated CWD prion protein (PrPcwd).
Intracranially challenged reindeer developed clinical disease from 21 months
post-inoculation (months PI). PrPcwd was detected in 5 out of 6 sentinel
reindeer although only 2 out of 6 developed clinical disease during the study
period (< 57 months PI). We have shown that reindeer are susceptible to CWD
from various cervid sources and can transmit CWD to naïve reindeer both directly
and indirectly.
Monday, September 05, 2016
*** Pathological features of chronic wasting disease in reindeer and
demonstration of horizontal transmission Major Findings for Norway ***
Monday, September 05, 2016
Pathological features of chronic wasting disease in reindeer and
demonstration of horizontal transmission Major Findings for Norway
Thursday, September 22, 2016
NORWAY DETECTS 5TH CASE OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD TSE PRION
Skrantesjuke
Monday, August 29, 2016
NWHC USGS CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD TSE PRION UPDATE
Friday, September 02, 2016
Chronic Wasting Disease Drives Population Decline of White-Tailed
Deer
Sunday, August 28, 2016
CONFIDENTIAL
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion and how Politics and
Greed by the Industry spread madcow type diseases from species to species and
around the globe
TSE PRIONS AKA MAD COW TYPE DISEASE, LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY!
Assessment of the PrPc amino-terminal domain in prion species barriers
Kristen A. Davenporta, Davin M. Hendersona, Candace K. Mathiasona and
Edward A. Hoovera# + Author Affiliations
Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and
Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado
State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523a ABSTRACT Chronic wasting disease (CWD)
in cervids and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle are prion
diseases that are caused by the same protein-misfolding mechanism, but appear to
pose different risks to humans. We are interested in understanding the
differences between the species barriers of CWD and BSE. We used real-time,
quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) to model the central molecular event in
prion disease, the templated misfolding of the normal prion protein, PrPc, to a
pathogenic, amyloid isoform, PrPSc. We examined the role of the PrPc
amino-terminal domain (NTD, aa23-90) in cross-species conversion by comparing
the conversion efficiency of various prion seeds in either full-length
(aa23-231) or truncated (aa90-231) PrPc. We demonstrate that the presence of
white-tailed deer and bovine NTDs hindered seeded conversion of PrPc, but human
and bank vole NTDs did the opposite. Additionally, full-length human and bank
vole PrPc were more likely to be converted to amyloid by CWD prions than were
their truncated forms. A chimera with replacement of the human NTD by the bovine
NTD resembled human PrPc. The requirement for an NTD, but not for the specific
human sequence, suggests that the NTD interacts with other regions of the human
PrPc to increase promiscuity. These data contribute to the evidence that, in
addition to primary sequence, prion species barriers are controlled by
interactions of the substrate NTD with the rest of the substrate PrPc molecule.
Importance We demonstrate that the amino-terminal domain of the normal
prion protein, PrPc, hinders seeded conversion of bovine and white-tailed deer
PrPc to the prion form, but it facilitates conversion of the human and bank vole
PrPc to the prion form. Additionally, we demonstrate that the amino-terminal
domain of human and bank vole PrPc requires interaction with the rest of the
molecule to facilitate conversion by CWD prions. These data suggest that
interactions of the amino-terminal domain with the rest of the PrPc molecule
play an important role in the susceptibility of humans to CWD prions.
snip...
We found that human rPrPc can be readily converted to an amyloid state by
CWD prions, and that the NTD facilitates this conversion. As there is little
evidence for the susceptibility of humans to CWD, the biologic significance of
our observation remains to be determined. However, the role of the NTD in this
in vitro phenomenon may be important to the in vivo mechanism as well. RT-QuIC,
transgenic mouse bioassay, and PMCA measure different outcomes. This manuscript
compares the efficiency of initial amyloid formation, while bioassay and PMCA
reflect total accumulation of protease-resistant PrPSc, which may explain the
difference in the apparent susceptibility of full-length human rPrPc in these
models. The molecular underpinnings for species barriers and trans-species prion
conversion remain a complex, yet important problem in prion biology. We propose
that an interaction between the amino terminal
FOOTNOTES
↵#Address correspondence to Edward A. Hoover, edward.hoover@colostate.edu
Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
‘’We demonstrate that the presence of white-tailed deer and bovine NTDs
hindered seeded conversion of PrPc, but human and bank vole NTDs did the
opposite. Additionally, full-length human and bank vole PrPc were more likely to
be converted to amyloid by CWD prions than were their truncated forms. ‘’
***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies
or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over
several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly
twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.***
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Assessment of the PrPc amino-terminal domain in prion species barriers
Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent
incubation period
***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies
or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over
several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly
twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.***
Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent
incubation period
Emmanuel E. Comoy , Jacqueline Mikol , Sophie Luccantoni-Freire , Evelyne
Correia , Nathalie Lescoutra-Etchegaray , Valérie Durand , Capucine Dehen ,
Olivier Andreoletti , Cristina Casalone , Juergen A. Richt , Justin J. Greenlee
, Thierry Baron , Sylvie L. Benestad , Paul Brown & Jean-Philippe Deslys
Abstract
Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (c-BSE) is the only animal prion
disease reputed to be zoonotic, causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)
in humans and having guided protective measures for animal and human health
against animal prion diseases. Recently, partial transmissions to humanized mice
showed that the zoonotic potential of scrapie might be similar to c-BSE. We here
report the direct transmission of a natural classical scrapie isolate to
cynomolgus macaque, a highly relevant model for human prion diseases, after a
10-year silent incubation period, with features similar to those reported for
human cases of sporadic CJD. Scrapie is thus actually transmissible to primates
with incubation periods compatible with their life expectancy, although fourfold
longer than BSE. Long-term experimental transmission studies are necessary to
better assess the zoonotic potential of other prion diseases with high
prevalence, notably Chronic Wasting Disease of deer and elk and atypical/Nor98
scrapie.
snip...
In addition to previous studies on scrapie transmission to primate1,8,9 and
the recently published study on transgenic humanized mice13, our results
constitute new evidence for recommending that the potential risk of scrapie for
human health should not be dismissed. Indeed, human PrP transgenic mice and
primates are the most relevant models for investigating the human transmission
barrier. To what extent such models are informative for measuring the zoonotic
potential of an animal TSE under field exposure conditions is unknown. During
the past decades, many protective measures have been successfully implemented to
protect cattle from the spread of c-BSE, and some of these measures have been
extended to sheep and goats to protect from scrapie according to the principle
of precaution. Since cases of c-BSE have greatly reduced in number, those
protective measures are currently being challenged and relaxed in the absence of
other known zoonotic animal prion disease. We recommend that risk managers
should be aware of the long term potential risk to human health of at least
certain scrapie isolates, notably for lymphotropic strains like the classical
scrapie strain used in the current study. Relatively high amounts of infectivity
in peripheral lymphoid organs in animals infected with these strains could lead
to contamination of food products produced for human consumption. Efforts should
also be maintained to further assess the zoonotic potential of other animal
prion strains in long-term studies, notably lymphotropic strains with high
prevalence like CWD, which is spreading across North America, and atypical/Nor98
scrapie (Nor98)50 that was first detected in the past two decades and now
represents approximately half of all reported cases of prion diseases in small
ruminants worldwide, including territories previously considered as scrapie
free. Even if the prevailing view is that sporadic CJD is due to the spontaneous
formation of CJD prions, it remains possible that its apparent sporadic nature
may, at least in part, result from our limited capacity to identify an
environmental origin.
***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies
or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over
several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly
twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.***
2015
O.05: Transmission of prions to primates after extended silent incubation
periods: Implications for BSE and scrapie risk assessment in human populations
Emmanuel Comoy, Jacqueline Mikol, Valerie Durand, Sophie Luccantoni,
Evelyne Correia, Nathalie Lescoutra, Capucine Dehen, and Jean-Philippe Deslys
Atomic Energy Commission; Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
Prion diseases (PD) are the unique neurodegenerative proteinopathies
reputed to be transmissible under field conditions since decades. The
transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to humans evidenced that
an animal PD might be zoonotic under appropriate conditions. Contrarily, in the
absence of obvious (epidemiological or experimental) elements supporting a
transmission or genetic predispositions, PD, like the other proteinopathies, are
reputed to occur spontaneously (atpical animal prion strains, sporadic CJD
summing 80% of human prion cases). Non-human primate models provided the first
evidences supporting the transmissibiity of human prion strains and the zoonotic
potential of BSE. Among them, cynomolgus macaques brought major information for
BSE risk assessment for human health (Chen, 2014), according to their
phylogenetic proximity to humans and extended lifetime. We used this model to
assess the zoonotic potential of other animal PD from bovine, ovine and cervid
origins even after very long silent incubation periods.
*** We recently observed the direct transmission of a natural classical
scrapie isolate to macaque after a 10-year silent incubation period,
***with features similar to some reported for human cases of sporadic CJD,
albeit requiring fourfold long incubation than BSE. Scrapie, as recently evoked
in humanized mice (Cassard, 2014),
***is the third potentially zoonotic PD (with BSE and L-type BSE),
***thus questioning the origin of human sporadic cases. We will present an
updated panorama of our different transmission studies and discuss the
implications of such extended incubation periods on risk assessment of animal PD
for human health.
===============
***thus questioning the origin of human sporadic cases***
===============
***our findings suggest that possible transmission risk of H-type BSE to
sheep and human. Bioassay will be required to determine whether the PMCA
products are infectious to these animals.
==============
CWD TSE PRION HUMAN ZOONOSIS POTENTIAL, has it already happened, and being
masked as sporadic CJD? and what about iatrogenic, or the pass if forward,
friendly fire mode of transmission of cwd to humans, same thing, sporadic cjd
?
*** WDA 2016 NEW YORK ***
We found that CWD adapts to a new host more readily than BSE and that human
PrP was unexpectedly prone to misfolding by CWD prions. In addition, we
investigated the role of specific regions of the bovine, deer and human PrP
protein in resistance to conversion by prions from another species. We have
concluded that the human protein has a region that confers unusual
susceptibility to conversion by CWD prions.
Student Presentations Session 2
The species barriers and public health threat of CWD and BSE prions
Ms. Kristen Davenport1, Dr. Davin Henderson1, Dr. Candace Mathiason1, Dr.
Edward Hoover1 1Colorado State University
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is spreading rapidly through cervid
populations in the USA. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, mad cow disease)
arose in the 1980s because cattle were fed recycled animal protein. These and
other prion diseases are caused by abnormal folding of the normal prion protein
(PrP) into a disease causing form (PrPd), which is pathogenic to nervous system
cells and can cause subsequent PrP to misfold. CWD spreads among cervids very
efficiently, but it has not yet infected humans. On the other hand, BSE was
spread only when cattle consumed infected bovine or ovine tissue, but did infect
humans and other species. The objective of this research is to understand the
role of PrP structure in cross-species infection by CWD and BSE. To study the
propensity of each species’ PrP to be induced to misfold by the presence of PrPd
from verious species, we have used an in vitro system that permits detection of
PrPd in real-time. We measured the conversion efficiency of various combinations
of PrPd seeds and PrP substrate combinations. We observed the cross-species
behavior of CWD and BSE, in addition to feline-adapted CWD and BSE. We found
that CWD adapts to a new host more readily than BSE and that human PrP was
unexpectedly prone to misfolding by CWD prions. In addition, we investigated the
role of specific regions of the bovine, deer and human PrP protein in resistance
to conversion by prions from another species. We have concluded that the human
protein has a region that confers unusual susceptibility to conversion by CWD
prions. CWD is unique among prion diseases in its rapid spread in natural
populations. BSE prions are essentially unaltered upon passage to a new species,
while CWD adapts to the new species. This adaptation has consequences for
surveillance of humans exposed to CWD.
Wildlife Disease Risk Communication Research Contributes to Wildlife Trust
Administration Exploring perceptions about chronic wasting disease risks among
wildlife and agriculture professionals and stakeholders
Ms. Alyssa Wetterau1, Dr. Krysten Schuler1, Dr. Elizabeth Bunting1, Dr.
Hussni Mohammed1 1Cornell University
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of North American
Cervidae. New York State (NYS, USA) successfully managed an outbreak of CWD in
2005 in both captive and wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with no
reoccurrence of the disease as of 2015. To attain maximum compliance and
efficacy of management actions for prevention of CWD entry, understanding the
varied risk perceptions will allow for targeted, proactive communication efforts
to address divergences between expert-derived risk assessments and stakeholder
risk perceptions. We examined perceived risks associated with CWD introduction
and exposure among agricultural and wildlife agency professionals within and
outside of NYS, as well as stakeholder groups (e.g., hunters and captive cervid
owners). We measured perceived risk using a risk assessment questionnaire online
via Qualtrics survey software and evaluated similarities within, as well as
differences in, perception among participant groups. New York State biologists
employed by the Department of Environmental Conservation and independent non-NYS
wildlife and agricultural professionals thought CWD risks associated with
captive cervids were high; captive cervid owners thought risks for wild and
captive cervids were low. Agriculture and wildlife professional groups agreed on
general risk perceptions. We ranked 15 individual risk hazards into high and low
medium categories based on all responses. Differences between groups were most
evident in hypothetical disease pathways. Any pathway involving inter-state
import of live cervids received high ranking for all groups except captive
cervid owners. Comparatively low risk perceptions by captive cervid operators
may stem from misinformation, lack of understanding of testing programs, and
indemnity payments for animal depopulation. Communication and education directed
at areas of disagreement may facilitate effective disease prevention and
management.
* No evaluation of determination of CWD risk is required for alternative
livestock or captive wildlife shipped directly to slaughter or to a biosecure
facility approved by the Division and the Dept. of Agriculture.
*** We found that CWD adapts to a new host more readily than BSE and that
human PrP was unexpectedly prone to misfolding by CWD prions. In addition, we
investigated the role of specific regions of the bovine, deer and human PrP
protein in resistance to conversion by prions from another species. We have
concluded that the human protein has a region that confers unusual
susceptibility to conversion by CWD prions. CWD is unique among prion diseases
in its rapid spread in natural populations. BSE prions are essentially unaltered
upon passage to a new species, while CWD adapts to the new species. This
adaptation has consequences for surveillance of humans exposed to CWD. ***
PRION 2016 TOKYO
Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions: An Update
Ignazio Cali1, Liuting Qing1, Jue Yuan1, Shenghai Huang2, Diane Kofskey1,3,
Nicholas Maurer1, Debbie McKenzie4, Jiri Safar1,3,5, Wenquan Zou1,3,5,6,
Pierluigi Gambetti1, Qingzhong Kong1,5,6
1Department of Pathology, 3National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance
Center, 5Department of Neurology, 6National Center for Regenerative Medicine,
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
4Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Prions and Protein
Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
2Encore Health Resources, 1331 Lamar St, Houston, TX 77010
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a widespread and highly transmissible
prion disease in free-ranging and captive cervid species in North America. The
zoonotic potential of CWD prions is a serious public health concern, but the
susceptibility of human CNS and peripheral organs to CWD prions remains largely
unresolved. We reported earlier that peripheral and CNS infections were detected
in transgenic mice expressing human PrP129M or PrP129V. Here we will present an
update on this project, including evidence for strain dependence and influence
of cervid PrP polymorphisms on CWD zoonosis as well as the characteristics of
experimental human CWD prions.
PRION 2016 TOKYO
In Conjunction with Asia Pacific Prion Symposium 2016
PRION 2016 Tokyo
Prion 2016
Prion 2016
Purchase options Price * Issue Purchase USD 198.00
Cervid to human prion transmission
Kong, Qingzhong
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
Abstract
Prion disease is transmissible and invariably fatal. Chronic wasting
disease (CWD) is the prion disease affecting deer, elk and moose, and it is a
widespread and expanding epidemic affecting 22 US States and 2 Canadian
provinces so far. CWD poses the most serious zoonotic prion transmission risks
in North America because of huge venison consumption (>6 million deer/elk
hunted and consumed annually in the USA alone), significant prion infectivity in
muscles and other tissues/fluids from CWD-affected cervids, and usually high
levels of individual exposure to CWD resulting from consumption of the affected
animal among often just family and friends. However, we still do not know
whether CWD prions can infect humans in the brain or peripheral tissues or
whether clinical/asymptomatic CWD zoonosis has already occurred, and we have no
essays to reliably detect CWD infection in humans. We hypothesize that:
(1) The classic CWD prion strain can infect humans at low levels in the
brain and peripheral lymphoid tissues;
(2) The cervid-to-human transmission barrier is dependent on the cervid
prion strain and influenced by the host (human) prion protein (PrP) primary
sequence;
(3) Reliable essays can be established to detect CWD infection in
humans;and
(4) CWD transmission to humans has already occurred. We will test these
hypotheses in 4 Aims using transgenic (Tg) mouse models and complementary in
vitro approaches.
Aim 1 will prove that the classical CWD strain may infect humans in brain
or peripheral lymphoid tissues at low levels by conducting systemic bioassays in
a set of "humanized" Tg mouse lines expressing common human PrP variants using a
number of CWD isolates at varying doses and routes. Experimental "human CWD"
samples will also be generated for Aim 3.
Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that the cervid-to-human prion transmission
barrier is dependent on prion strain and influenced by the host (human) PrP
sequence by examining and comparing the transmission efficiency and phenotypes
of several atypical/unusual CWD isolates/strains as well as a few prion strains
from other species that have adapted to cervid PrP sequence, utilizing the same
panel of humanized Tg mouse lines as in Aim 1.
Aim 3 will establish reliable essays for detection and surveillance of CWD
infection in humans by examining in details the clinical, pathological,
biochemical and in vitro seeding properties of existing and future experimental
"human CWD" samples generated from Aims 1-2 and compare them with those of
common sporadic human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) prions.
Aim 4 will attempt to detect clinical CWD-affected human cases by examining
a significant number of brain samples from prion-affected human subjects in the
USA and Canada who have consumed venison from CWD-endemic areas utilizing the
criteria and essays established in Aim 3. The findings from this proposal will
greatly advance our understandings on the potential and characteristics of
cervid prion transmission in humans, establish reliable essays for CWD zoonosis
and potentially discover the first case(s) of CWD infection in humans.
Public Health Relevance There are significant and increasing human exposure
to cervid prions because chronic wasting disease (CWD, a widespread and highly
infectious prion disease among deer and elk in North America) continues
spreading and consumption of venison remains popular, but our understanding on
cervid-to-human prion transmission is still very limited, raising public health
concerns. This proposal aims to define the zoonotic risks of cervid prions and
set up and apply essays to detect CWD zoonosis using mouse models and in vitro
methods. The findings will greatly expand our knowledge on the potentials and
characteristics of cervid prion transmission in humans, establish reliable
essays for such infections and may discover the first case(s) of CWD infection
in humans.
Funding Agency Agency National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type Research Project (R01)
Project # 1R01NS088604-01A1
Application # 9037884
Study Section Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study
Section (CMND)
Program Officer Wong, May
Project Start 2015-09-30
Project End 2019-07-31
Budget Start 2015-09-30
Budget End 2016-07-31
Support Year 1
Fiscal Year 2015
Total Cost $337,507
Indirect Cost $118,756
Institution
Name Case Western Reserve University
Department Pathology
Type Schools of Medicine
DUNS # 077758407
City Cleveland
State OH
Country United States
Zip Code 44106
===========================================================
We hypothesize that:
(1) The classic CWD prion strain can infect humans at low levels in the
brain and peripheral lymphoid tissues;
(2) The cervid-to-human transmission barrier is dependent on the cervid
prion strain and influenced by the host (human) prion protein (PrP) primary
sequence;
(3) Reliable essays can be established to detect CWD infection in
humans;and
(4) *** CWD transmission to humans has already occurred. *** We will test
these hypotheses in 4 Aims using transgenic (Tg) mouse models and complementary
in vitro approaches.
============================================================
Key Molecular Mechanisms of TSEs
Zabel, Mark D.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO, United States
Abstract Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs),
are fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans, cervids, bovids, and
ovids. The absolute requirement of PrPC expression to generate prion diseases
and the lack of instructional nucleic acid define prions as unique infectious
agents. Prions exhibit species-specific tropism, inferring that unique prion
strains exist that preferentially infct certain host species and confront
transmission barriers to heterologous host species. However, transmission
barriers are not absolute. Scientific consensus agrees that the sheep TSE
scrapie probably breached the transmission barrier to cattle causing bovine
spongiform encephalopathy that subsequently breached the human transmission
barrier and likely caused several hundred deaths by a new-variant form of the
human TSE Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the UK and Europe. The impact to human
health, emotion and economies can still be felt in areas like farming, blood and
organ donations and the threat of a latent TSE epidemic. This precedent raises
the real possibility of other TSEs, like chronic wasting disease of cervids,
overcoming similar human transmission barriers. A groundbreaking discovery made
last year revealed that mice infected with heterologous prion strains facing
significant transmission barriers replicated prions far more readily in spleens
than brains6. Furthermore, these splenic prions exhibited weakened transmission
barriers and expanded host ranges compared to neurogenic prions. These data
question conventional wisdom of avoiding neural tissue to avoid prion
xenotransmission, when more promiscuous prions may lurk in extraneural tissues.
Data derived from work previously funded by NIH demonstrate that Complement
receptors CD21/35 bind prions and high density PrPC and differentially impact
prion disease depending on the prion isolate or strain used. Recent advances in
live animal and whole organ imaging have led us to generate preliminary data to
support novel, innovative approaches to assessing prion capture and transport.
We plan to test our unifying hypothesis for this proposal that CD21/35 control
the processes of peripheral prion capture, transport, strain selection and
xenotransmission in the following specific aims. 1. Assess the role of CD21/35
in splenic prion strain selection and host range expansion. 2. Determine whether
CD21/35 and C1q differentially bind distinct prion strains 3. Monitor the
effects of CD21/35 on prion trafficking in real time and space 4. Assess the
role of CD21/35 in incunabular prion trafficking
Public Health Relevance Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion
diseases, are devastating illnesses that greatly impact public health,
agriculture and wildlife in North America and around the world. The impact to
human health, emotion and economies can still be felt in areas like farming,
blood and organ donations and the threat of a latent TSE epidemic. This
precedent raises the real possibility of other TSEs, like chronic wasting
disease (CWD) of cervids, overcoming similar human transmission barriers. Early
this year Canada reported its first case of BSE in over a decade audits first
case of CWD in farmed elk in three years, underscoring the need for continued
vigilance and research. Identifying mechanisms of transmission and zoonoses
remains an extremely important and intense area of research that will benefit
human and other animal populations.
Funding Agency Agency National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type High Priority, Short Term Project Award (R56)
Project # 1R56AI122273-01A1
Application # 9211114
Study Section Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study
Section (CMND)
Program Officer Beisel, Christopher E
Project Start 2016-02-16
Project End 2017-01-31
Budget Start 2016-02-16
Budget End 2017-01-31
Support Year 1
Fiscal Year 2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost Institution Name Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Department Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS # 785979618 City Fort Collins
State CO
Country United States
Zip Code 80523
PMCA Detection of CWD Infection in Cervid and Non-Cervid Species
Hoover, Edward Arthur
Colorado State University-Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO, United States
Abstract Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk is an emerging highly
transmissible prion disease now recognized in 18 States, 2 Canadian provinces,
and Korea. We have shown that Infected deer harbor and shed high levels of
infectious prions in saliva, blood, urine, and feces, and in the tissues
generating those body fluids and excreta, thereby leading to facile transmission
by direct contact and environmental contamination. We have also shown that CWD
can infect some non-cervid species, thus the potential risk CWD represents to
domestic animal species and to humans remains unknown. Whether prions borne in
blood, saliva, nasal fluids, milk, or excreta are generated or modified in the
proximate peripheral tissue sites, may differ in subtle ways from those
generated in brain, or may be adapted for mucosal infection remain open
questions. The increasing parallels in the pathogenesis between prion diseases
and human neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
diseases, add relevance to CWD as a transmissible protein misfolding disease.
The overall goal of this work is to elucidate the process of CWD prion
transmission from mucosal secretory and excretory tissue sites by addressing
these questions: (a) What are the kinetics and magnitude of CWD prion shedding
post-exposure? (b) Are excreted prions biochemically distinct, or not, from
those in the CNS? (c) Are peripheral epithelial or CNS tissues, or both, the
source of excreted prions? and (d) Are excreted prions adapted for horizontal
transmission via natural/trans-mucosal routes? The specific aims of this
proposal are: (1) To determine the onset and consistency of CWD prion shedding
in deer and cervidized mice; (2); To compare the biochemical and biophysical
properties of excretory vs. CNS prions; (3) To determine the capacity of
peripheral tissues to support replication of CWD prions; (4) To determine the
protease- sensitive infectious fraction of excreted vs. CNS prions; and (5) To
compare the mucosal infectivity of excretory vs. CNS prions. Understanding the
mechanisms that enable efficient prion dissemination and shedding will help
elucidate how horizontally transmissible prions evolve and succeed, and is the
basis of this proposal. Understanding how infectious misfolded proteins (prions)
are generated, trafficked, shed, and transmitted will aid in preventing,
treating, and managing the risks associated with these agents and the diseases
they cause.
Public Health Relevance Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk is an
emergent highly transmissible prion disease now recognized throughout the USA as
well as in Canada and Korea. We have shown that infected deer harbor and shed
high levels of infectious prions in saliva, blood, urine, and feces thereby
leading to transmission by direct contact and environmental contamination. In
that our studies have also shown that CWD can infect some non-cervid species,
the potential risk CWD may represents to domestic animal species and humans
remains unknown. The increasing parallels in the development of major human
neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and
prion diseases add relevance to CWD as a model of a transmissible protein
misfolding disease. Understanding how infectious misfolded proteins (prions) are
generated and transmitted will aid in interrupting, treating, and managing the
risks associated with these agents and the diseases they cause.
Funding Agency Agency National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type Research Project (R01)
Project # 4R01NS061902-07
Application # 9010980
Study Section Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study
Section (CMND)
Program Officer Wong, May Project Start 2009-09-30
Project End 2018-02-28
Budget Start 2016-03-01
Budget End 2017-02-28
Support Year 7
Fiscal Year 2016
Total Cost $409,868
Indirect Cost $134,234 Institution Name Colorado State University-Fort
Collins
Department Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS # 785979618 City Fort Collins
State CO
Country United States
Zip Code 80523
LOOKING FOR CWD IN HUMANS AS nvCJD or as an ATYPICAL CJD, LOOKING IN ALL
THE WRONG PLACES $$$
*** These results would seem to suggest that CWD does indeed have zoonotic
potential, at least as judged by the compatibility of CWD prions and their human
PrPC target. Furthermore, extrapolation from this simple in vitro assay suggests
that if zoonotic CWD occurred, it would most likely effect those of the PRNP
codon 129-MM genotype and that the PrPres type would be similar to that found in
the most common subtype of sCJD (MM1).***
PRION 2015 CONFERENCE FT. COLLINS CWD RISK FACTORS TO HUMANS
*** LATE-BREAKING ABSTRACTS PRION 2015 CONFERENCE ***
O18
Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions
Liuting Qing1, Ignazio Cali1,2, Jue Yuan1, Shenghai Huang3, Diane Kofskey1,
Pierluigi Gambetti1, Wenquan Zou1, Qingzhong Kong1 1Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 2Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy,
3Encore Health Resources, Houston, Texas, USA
*** These results indicate that the CWD prion has the potential to infect
human CNS and peripheral lymphoid tissues and that there might be asymptomatic
human carriers of CWD infection.
==================
***These results indicate that the CWD prion has the potential to infect
human CNS and peripheral lymphoid tissues and that there might be asymptomatic
human carriers of CWD infection.***
==================
P.105: RT-QuIC models trans-species prion transmission
Kristen Davenport, Davin Henderson, Candace Mathiason, and Edward Hoover
Prion Research Center; Colorado State University; Fort Collins, CO USA
Conversely, FSE maintained sufficient BSE characteristics to more
efficiently convert bovine rPrP than feline rPrP. Additionally, human rPrP was
competent for conversion by CWD and fCWD.
***This insinuates that, at the level of protein:protein interactions, the
barrier preventing transmission of CWD to humans is less robust than previously
estimated.
================
***This insinuates that, at the level of protein:protein interactions, the
barrier preventing transmission of CWD to humans is less robust than previously
estimated.***
================
*** PRICE OF CWD TSE PRION POKER GOES UP 2014 ***
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE PRION update January 2, 2014
*** 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.
*** These results would seem to suggest that CWD does indeed have zoonotic
potential, at least as judged by the compatibility of CWD prions and their human
PrPC target. Furthermore, extrapolation from this simple in vitro assay suggests
that if zoonotic CWD occurred, it would most likely effect those of the PRNP
codon 129-MM genotype and that the PrPres type would be similar to that found in
the most common subtype of sCJD (MM1).***
*** 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.
***********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 ;
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
Monday, May 02, 2016
*** Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions: An Update Prion 2016 Tokyo ***
*** PRION 2014 CONFERENCE CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD
*** PPo3-7: Prion Transmission from Cervids to Humans is Strain-dependent
*** Here we report that a human prion strain that had adopted the cervid
prion protein (PrP) sequence through passage in cervidized transgenic mice
efficiently infected transgenic mice expressing human PrP,
*** indicating that the species barrier from cervid to humans is prion
strain-dependent and humans can be vulnerable to novel cervid prion strains.
PPo2-27:
Generation of a Novel form of Human PrPSc by Inter-species Transmission of
Cervid Prions
*** Our findings suggest that CWD prions have the capability to infect
humans, and that this ability depends on CWD strain adaptation, implying that
the risk for human health progressively increases with the spread of CWD among
cervids.
PPo2-7:
Biochemical and Biophysical Characterization of Different CWD Isolates
*** The data presented here substantiate and expand previous reports on the
existence of different CWD strains.
Envt.07:
Pathological Prion Protein (PrPTSE) in Skeletal Muscles of Farmed and Free
Ranging White-Tailed Deer Infected with Chronic Wasting Disease
***The presence and seeding activity of PrPTSE in skeletal muscle from
CWD-infected cervids suggests prevention of such tissue in the human diet as a
precautionary measure for food safety, pending on further clarification of
whether CWD may be transmissible to humans.
>>>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.
Envt.07:
Pathological Prion Protein (PrPTSE) in Skeletal Muscles of Farmed and Free
Ranging White-Tailed Deer Infected with Chronic Wasting Disease
***The presence and seeding activity of PrPTSE in skeletal muscle from
CWD-infected cervids suggests prevention of such tissue in the human diet as a
precautionary measure for food safety, pending on further clarification of
whether CWD may be transmissible to humans.
Yet, it has to be noted that our assessments of PrPTSE levels in skeletal
muscles were based on findings in presumably pre- or subclinically infected
animals. Therefore, the concentration of PrPTSE in skeletal muscles of WTD with
clinically manifest CWD may possibly exceed our estimate which refers to
clinically inconspicuous animals that are more likely to enter the human food
chain. Our tissue blot findings in skeletal muscles from CWD-infected WTD would
be consistent with an anterograde spread of CWD prions via motor nerve fibres to
muscle tissue (figure 4A). Similar neural spreading pathways of muscle infection
were previously found in hamsters orally challenged with scrapie [28] and
suggested by the detection of PrPTSE in muscle fibres and muscle-associated
nerve fascicles of clinically-ill non-human primates challenged with BSE prions
[29]. Whether the absence of detectable PrPTSE in myofibers observed in our
study is a specific feature of CWD in WTD, or was due to a pre- or subclinical
stage of infection in the examined animals, remains to be established. In any
case, our observations support previous findings suggesting the precautionary
prevention of muscle tissue from CWD-infected WTD in the human diet, and
highlight the need to comprehensively elucidate of whether CWD may be
transmissible to humans. While the understanding of TSEs in cervids has made
substantial progress during the past few years, the assessment and management of
risks possibly emanating from prions in skeletal muscles of CWD-infected cervids
requires further research.
Prions in Skeletal Muscles of Deer with Chronic Wasting Disease Rachel C.
Angers1,*, Shawn R. Browning1,*,†, Tanya S. Seward2, Christina J. Sigurdson4,‡,
Michael W. Miller5, Edward A. Hoover4, Glenn C. Telling1,2,3,§ + Author
Affiliations
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University
of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. 2 Sanders Brown Center on Aging,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. 3 Department of Neurology,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. 4 Department of Microbiology,
Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523,
USA. 5 Colorado Division of Wildlife, Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO
80526, USA. ↵§ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
gtell2@uky.edu ↵* These authors contributed equally to this work.
↵† Present address: Department of Infectology, Scripps Research Institute,
5353 Parkside Drive, RF-2, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
↵‡ Present address: Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich,
Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract The emergence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk in
an increasingly wide geographic area, as well as the interspecies transmission
of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to humans in the form of variant Creutzfeldt
Jakob disease, have raised concerns about the zoonotic potential of CWD. Because
meat consumption is the most likely means of exposure, it is important to
determine whether skeletal muscle of diseased cervids contains prion
infectivity. Here bioassays in transgenic mice expressing cervid prion protein
revealed the presence of infectious prions in skeletal muscles of CWD-infected
deer, demonstrating that humans consuming or handling meat from CWD-infected
deer are at risk to prion exposure.
Exotic Meats USA Announces Urgent Statewide Recall of Elk Tenderloin
Because It May Contain Meat Derived From An Elk Confirmed To Have Chronic
Wasting Disease
Contact: Exotic Meats USA 1-800-680-4375
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- February 9, 2009 -- Exotic Meats USA of San
Antonio, TX is initiating a voluntary recall of Elk Tenderloin because it may
contain meat derived from an elk confirmed to have Chronic Wasting Disease
(CWD). The meat with production dates of December 29, 30 and 31, 2008 was
purchased from Sierra Meat Company in Reno, NV. The infected elk came from Elk
Farm LLC in Pine Island, MN and was among animals slaughtered and processed at
USDA facility Noah’s Ark Processors LLC.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal brain and nervous system disease
found in elk and deer. The disease is caused by an abnormally shaped protein
called a prion, which can damage the brain and nerves of animals in the deer
family. Currently, it is believed that the prion responsible for causing CWD in
deer and elk is not capable of infecting humans who eat deer or elk contaminated
with the prion, but the observation of animal-to-human transmission of other
prion-mediated diseases, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), has
raised a theoretical concern regarding the transmission of CWD from deer or elk
to humans. At the present time, FDA believes the risk of becoming ill from
eating CWD-positive elk or deer meat is remote. However, FDA strongly advises
consumers to return the product to the place of purchase, rather than disposing
of it themselves, due to environmental concerns.
Exotic Meats USA purchased 1 case of Elk Tenderloins weighing 16.9 lbs. The
Elk Tenderloin was sold from January 16 – 27, 2009. The Elk Tenderloins was
packaged in individual vacuum packs weighing approximately 3 pounds each. A
total of six packs of the Elk Tenderloins were sold to the public at the Exotic
Meats USA retail store. Consumers who still have the Elk Tenderloins should
return the product to Exotic Meats USA at 1003 NE Loop 410, San Antonio, TX
78209. Customers with concerns or questions about the Voluntary Elk Recall can
call 1-800-680-4375. The safety of our customer has always been and always will
be our number one priority.
Exotic Meats USA requests that for those customers who have products with
the production dates in question, do not consume or sell them and return them to
the point of purchase. Customers should return the product to the vendor. The
vendor should return it to the distributor and the distributor should work with
the state to decide upon how best to dispose. If the consumer is disposing of
the product he/she should consult with the local state EPA office.
#
COLORADO: Farmer's market meat recalled after testing positive for
CWD
24.dec.08 9News.com Jeffrey Wolf
Elk meat that was sold at a farmer's market is being recalled because tests
show it was infected with chronic wasting disease. The Boulder County Health
Department and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued the
recall Wednesday after the meat was sold at the Boulder County Fairgrounds on
Dec. 13. Although there isn't any human health risk connected with CWD, the
recalled was issued as a precaution. About 15 elk were bought from a commercial
ranch in Colorado in early December and processed at a licensed plant. All 15
were tested for CWD and one came up positive. The labeling on the product would
have the following information: *Seller: High Wire Ranch *The type of cut:
"chuck roast," "arm roast," "flat iron," "ribeye steak," "New York steak,"
"tenderloin," "sirloin tip roast," "medallions" or "ground meat." *Processor:
Cedaredge Processing *The USDA triangle containing the number "34645" People
with questions about this meat can contact John Pape, epidemiologist at the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at 303-692-2628.
COULD NOT FIND any warning or recalls on these two sites confirming their
recall of CWD infected meat. ...TSS
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Presence and Seeding Activity of Pathological Prion Protein (PrPTSE) in
Skeletal Muscles of White-Tailed Deer Infected with Chronic Wasting Disease
Prion Infectivity in Fat of Deer with Chronic Wasting Disease
Brent Race,# Kimberly Meade-White,# Richard Race, and Bruce Chesebro* Rocky
Mountain Laboratories, 903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, Montana 59840
Received 2 June 2009/ Accepted 24 June 2009
ABSTRACT Top ABSTRACT TEXT REFERENCES
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a neurodegenerative prion disease of
cervids. Some animal prion diseases, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy,
can infect humans; however, human susceptibility to CWD is unknown. In
ruminants, prion infectivity is found in central nervous system and lymphoid
tissues, with smaller amounts in intestine and muscle. In mice, prion
infectivity was recently detected in fat. Since ruminant fat is consumed by
humans and fed to animals, we determined infectivity titers in fat from two
CWD-infected deer. Deer fat devoid of muscle contained low levels of CWD
infectivity and might be a risk factor for prion infection of other
species.
snip...
The highest risk of human contact with CWD might be through exposure to
high-titer CNS tissue through accidental skin cuts or corneal contact at the
time of harvest and butchering. However, the likelihood of a human consuming fat
infected with a low titer of the CWD agent is much higher. It is impossible to
remove all the fat present within muscle tissue, and fat consumption is
inevitable when eating meat. Of additional concern is the fact that meat from an
individual deer harvested by a hunter is typically consumed over multiple meals
by the same group of people. These individuals would thus have multiple
exposures to the CWD agent over time, which might increase the chance for
transfer of infection.
In the Rocky Mountain region of North America, wild deer are subject to
predation by wolves, coyotes, bears, and mountain lions. Although canines such
as wolves and coyotes are not known to be susceptible to prion diseases, felines
definitely are susceptible to BSE (9) and might also be infected by the CWD
agent. Deer infected with the CWD agent are more likely to be killed by
predators such as mountain lions (11). Peripheral tissues, including lymph
nodes, muscle, and fat, which harbor prion infectivity are more accessible for
consumption than CNS tissue, which has the highest level of infectivity late in
disease. Therefore, infectivity in these peripheral tissues may be important in
potential cross-species CWD transmissions in the wild.
The present finding of CWD infectivity in deer fat tissue raises the
possibility that prion infectivity might also be found in fat tissue of other
infected ruminants, such as sheep and cattle, whose fat and muscle tissues are
more widely distributed in both the human and domestic-animal food chains.
Although the infectivity in fat tissues is low compared to that in the CNS,
there may be significant differences among species and between prion strains.
Two fat samples from BSE agent-infected cattle were reported to be negative by
bioassay in nontransgenic RIII mice (3, 6). However, RIII mice are
10,000-fold-less sensitive to BSE agent infection than transgenic mice
expressing bovine PrP (4). It would be prudent to carry out additional
infectivity assays on fat from BSE agent-infected cattle and scrapie
agent-infected sheep using appropriate transgenic mice or homologous species to
determine the risk from these sources.
0C7.04
North American Cervids Harbor Two Distinct CWD Strains
Authors
Angers, R. Seward, T, Napier, D., Browning, S., Miller, M., Balachandran
A., McKenzie, D., Hoover, E., Telling, G. 'University of Kentucky; Colorado
Division of Wildlife, Canadian Food Inspection Agency; University Of Wisconsin;
Colorado State University.
Content
Despite the increasing geographic distribution and host range of CWD,
little is known about the prion strain(s) responsible for distinct outbreaks of
the disease. To address this we inoculated CWD-susceptible Tg(CerPrP)1536+/·
mice with 29 individual prion samples from various geographic locations in North
America. Upon serial passage, intrastudy incubation periods consistently
diverged and clustered into two main groups with means around 210 and 290 days,
with corresponding differences in neuropathology. Prion strain designations were
utilized to distinguish between the two groups: Type I CWD mice succumbed to
disease in the 200 day range and displayed a symmetrical pattern of vacuolation
and PrPSc deposition, whereas Type II CWD mice succumbed to disease near 300
days and displayed a strikingly different pattern characterized by large local
accumulations of florid plaques distributed asymmetrically. Type II CWD bears a
striking resemblance to unstable parental scrapie strains such as 87A which give
rise to stable, short incubation period strains such as ME7 under certain
passage conditions. In agreement, the only groups of CWD-inoculated mice with
unwavering incubation periods were those with Type I CWD. Additionally,
following endpoint titration of a CWD sample, Type I CWD could be recovered only
at the lowest dilution tested (10-1), whereas Type II CWD was detected in mice
inoculated with all dilutions resulting in disease. Although strain properties
are believed to be encoded in the tertiary structure of the infectious prion
protein, we found no biochemical differences between Type I and Type II CWD. Our
data confirm the co·existence of two distinct prion strains in CWD-infected
cervids and suggest that Type II CWD is the parent strain of Type I CWD.
see page 29, and see other CWD studies ;
Sunday, November 23, 2008
PRION October 8th - 10th 2008 Book of Abstracts
ADAPTATION OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE (CWD) INTO HAMSTERS, EVIDENCE OF A
WISCONSIN STRAIN OF CWD
Chad Johnson1, Judd Aiken2,3,4 and Debbie McKenzie4,5 1 Department of
Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI, USA 53706 2
Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Sciences, 3 Alberta Veterinary
Research Institute, 4.Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, 5
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
T6G 2P5
The identification and characterization of prion strains is increasingly
important for the diagnosis and biological definition of these infectious
pathogens. Although well-established in scrapie and, more recently, in BSE,
comparatively little is known about the possibility of prion strains in chronic
wasting disease (CWD), a disease affecting free ranging and captive cervids,
primarily in North America. We have identified prion protein variants in the
white-tailed deer population and demonstrated that Prnp genotype affects the
susceptibility/disease progression of white-tailed deer to CWD agent. The
existence of cervid prion protein variants raises the likelihood of distinct CWD
strains. Small rodent models are a useful means of identifying prion strains. We
intracerebrally inoculated hamsters with brain homogenates and phosphotungstate
concentrated preparations from CWD positive hunter-harvested (Wisconsin CWD
endemic area) and experimentally infected deer of known Prnp genotypes. These
transmission studies resulted in clinical presentation in primary passage of
concentrated CWD prions. Subclinical infection was established with the other
primary passages based on the detection of PrPCWD in the brains of hamsters and
the successful disease transmission upon second passage. Second and third
passage data, when compared to transmission studies using different CWD inocula
(Raymond et al., 2007) indicate that the CWD agent present in the Wisconsin
white-tailed deer population is different than the strain(s) present in elk,
mule-deer and white-tailed deer from the western United States endemic
region.
*** Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at
least 16 years ***
Gudmundur Georgsson1, Sigurdur Sigurdarson2 and Paul Brown3
Friday, August 14, 2015
*** Susceptibility of cattle to the agent of chronic wasting disease from
elk after intracranial inoculation ***
Saturday, May 28, 2016
*** Infection and detection of PrPCWD in soil from CWD infected farm in
Korea Prion 2016 Tokyo ***
Monday, May 02, 2016
*** Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions: An Update Prion 2016 Tokyo ***
SCRAPIE AND CWD ZOONOSIS
PRION 2016 CONFERENCE TOKYO
Saturday, April 23, 2016
*** SCRAPIE WS-01: Prion diseases in animals and zoonotic potential 2016
***
Prion. 10:S15-S21. 2016 ISSN: 1933-6896 printl 1933-690X
Terry S. Singeltary Sr., Bacliff, Texas USA 77518 flounder9@verizon.net
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
3:11 PM
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