Infectious Prions in the Pregnancy Microenvironment of CWD-infected Reeves' Muntjac Deer
Infectious Prions in the Pregnancy Microenvironment of CWD-infected Reeves' Muntjac Deer
Amy V. Nalls, Erin McNulty, Clare E. Hoover, Laura A. Pulscher, Edward A. Hoover and Candace K. Mathiason* + Author Affiliations
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. ABSTRACT
Ample evidence exists for the presence of infectious agents at the maternal-fetal interface, often with grave outcomes to the developing fetus (i.e. zika virus, brucella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasma). While less studied, pregnancy-related transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) have been implicated in several species, including humans. Our previous work has shown that prions can be transferred from mother-to-offspring resulting in the development of clinical TSE disease in offspring born to CWD-infected muntjac dams (64). We further demonstrated protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA)-competent prions within the female reproductive tract and in fetal tissues harvested from CWD experimental and naturally-exposed cervids (64, 81). To assess whether the PMCA-competent prions residing at the maternal-fetal interface were infectious, and to determine if the real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) methodology may enhance our ability to detect amyloid fibrils within the pregnancy microenvironment, we employed mouse bioassay and RT-QuIC. In this study we have demonstrated RT-QuIC seeding activity in uterus, placentome, ovary and amniotic fluid, but not allantoic fluids harvested from clinical CWD-infected Reeves' muntjac dams and some placentomes from pre-clinical CWD-infected dams. Prion infectivity was confirmed within the uterus, amniotic fluid and the placentome, the semipermeable interface that sustains the developing fetus, of CWD-infected dams. This is the first report of prion infectivity within the cervid pregnancy microenvironment, revealing a source of fetal CWD exposure prior to the birthing process, maternal grooming, or encounter with contaminated environments.
IMPORTANCE The facile dissemination of chronic wasting disease within captive and free-range cervid populations has led to questions regarding the transmission dynamics of this disease. Direct contact with infected animals, and indirect contact with infectious prions in bodily fluids and contaminated environments are suspected to explain the majority of this transmission. A third mode of transmission, from mother to offspring, may be underappreciated. The presence of pregnancy-related prion infectivity— within the uterus, amniotic fluid and the placental structure— reveals that the developing fetus is exposed to a source of prions long before exposure to the infectious agent during and after the birthing process, or via contact with contaminated environments. These findings have impact on our current concept of CWD disease transmission.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2013
Mother to Offspring Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE prion disease Mother to Offspring Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease in Reeves’ Muntjac Deer
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010
Mother to Offspring Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease PPo3-40:
SUNDAY, AUGUST 02, 2015
TEXAS CWD, Have you been ThunderStruck, deer semen, straw bred bucks, super ovulation, and the potential TSE Prion connection, what if?
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Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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In Confidence - Perceptions of unconventional slow virus diseases of animals in the USA - APRIL-MAY 1989 - G A H Wells
3. Prof. A. Robertson gave a brief account of BSE. The US approach was to accord it a very low profile indeed. Dr. A Thiermann showed the picture in the ''Independent'' with cattle being incinerated and thought this was a fanatical incident to be avoided in the US at all costs. ...
snip...see full text ;
Evidence That Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy Results from Feeding Infected Cattle Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. snip... The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle...
In Confidence - Perceptions of unconventional slow virus diseases of animals in the USA - APRIL-MAY 1989 - G A H Wells 3. Prof. A. Robertson gave a brief account of BSE. The US approach was to accord it a very low profile indeed. Dr. A Thiermann showed the picture in the ''Independent'' with cattle being incinerated and thought this was a fanatical incident to be avoided in the US at all costs. ...
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 its 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.
*** Spraker suggested an interesting explanation for the occurrence of CWD. The deer pens at the Foot Hills Campus were built some 30-40 years ago by a Dr. Bob Davis. At or abut that time, allegedly, some scrapie work was conducted at this site. When deer were introduced to the pens they occupied ground that had previously been occupied by sheep.
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
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