TPW Commission Meeting Transcript CWD TSE PrP January 22, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
TPW Commission Meeting Transcript January 22, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Science Update 2026 Update
Greetings again Honorable Texas Wildlife and Government Officials,
i am writing you all today with great concern about CWD.
Besides of my concerns with the zoonotic and environmental risk factors of cwd tse prp, i am extremely concerned with the disconnect showing now between TPWD and TAHC with Concerns with CWD management, attempted containment or eradication of CWD. This is terrible. you all must get on the same page, and you all cannot let the captive cervid industry dictate their junk science to you, (which appears what TPWD is doing) and then legislate cwd regulations there from. that’s absolutely why Texas is in this mess with CWD (i have those receipts)…imho!
the last time i updated you all on cwd was;
From: Terry Singeltary <flounder9@verizon.net>
Date: January 17, 2024 at 3:25:26 PM CST
To:
Cc:
Subject: TPWD Action CWD Detection and Response Rules Containment and Surveillance Zone Boundaries Recommended Adoption of Proposed Changes January 25, 2024
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024
TPWD Action CWD Detection and Response Rules Containment and Surveillance Zone Boundaries Recommended Adoption of Proposed Changes January 25, 2024
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2024/01/tpwd-action-cwd-detection-and-response.html
2026 Singeltary submission cwd;
TPW Commission Meeting Transcript January 22, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
JANUARY 22, 2026
snip…
COMMISSIONER GALO: Chairman, if I may.
I agree with you. There’s a lot of people that really do disagree with this plan. And I think that it does change a lot of what we have been doing in the past when we were with Texas Animal Health Commission.
And, as you know, at the last meeting I had some very big concerns. And I left that meeting and I’ve been thinking about a lot that was said there and a lot about this particular rule package.
And if you may favor me, Chairman, I actually put a statement together because I don’t want to… I felt like I left a lot of things unsaid at the last meeting.
So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to read, and maybe that will clarify some of the reasons that people disagree with this rule package.
Texas A&M studies put the total economic output of white-tailed deer hunting in Texas at around $9.6 billion– $4.6 billion for hunters and $5 billion from landowners, encompassing expenditures on licenses, lodging, feed, management, and more.
Additionally, it generates tens of thousands of jobs across the state. Chronic wasting disease is a threat to this vital cornerstone of Texas’ outdoor recreation and its economy. Unfortunately, CWD remains an incredibly difficult disease to manage due to the ease of transmission, the elusive detection in infected animals, its extended incubation period, and its tenacious persistence in the environment once it’s introduced.
Because we now know that there are two primary sources of exposure, one, CWD-infected deer, and two, a CWD-contaminated environment, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department must continue a rigorous statewide surveillance program, follow effective protocol for action in the instance of detection, and especially prevent its spread pursuant to TWD [Sic]/CWD management plan.
While the TPWD plan to deal with CWD was meant to be dynamic and evolving, TPWD cannot accept the proposed rule which grants, quote– and I quote– “grants TPWD staff explicit authority to develop disease management plans for trace and positive facilities,” end quote; and especially that which relates to the movement of animals out of an infected location.
The department has determined that allowing breeder deer to be moved from an exposed location represents an unacceptable risk of spreading CWD to native, free-ranging, and captive deer populations unless a determination based on the particulars of a given circumstance indicates the risk is neither nonexistent or acceptable.
The above proposed discretionary approach to management resulted in TWD [Sic] staff electing to release 13 bucks from a CWD-positive facility onto an immediately adjacent uninfected site, something which under the previous rule, and adhering to previous protocol, they would not have had the authority to do.
The release was done in mid-September of 2025. One month later, one of the bucks released under the disease management plan tested positive for CWD on the release site; and a second buck from the same group a month and a few days after that. There were 11 properties that were directly exposed to the department’s action… exposed by the department’s actions– 11 properties.
The recent documented disease spread due to deviation from the previous rule adopted during the period where the Texas Animal Health Commission was managing CWD with TPWD is incontrovertible evidence that we cannot deviate from those previously established safeguards. To date, CWD has persisted, spread, and increased in prevalence in nearly every area where it has been introduced.
Unfortunately, because currently there are no known management strategies to successfully mitigate the risk of indirect transmission once an environment has been contaminated with infectious prions, disease prevention is the only prudent recourse.
The best way to manage CWD is to prevent its introduction into new areas and limit its spread. Established safeguards cannot be abandoned. Discontinuation or deviation from prior proven protocol exposes the department to potential liability as CWD will certainly spread to neighboring properties unless established CWD containment procedures are followed.
The department cannot revert to methods from the past which we know caused the spread of this ultimately fatal disease. We must recognize the need for full cooperation and partnership between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioners and the department and its staff, and continue to implement the plans and procedures which were developed and incorporated as the epidemiology and management of this disease became better understood, and until science provides a new and a better plan.
Those are my comments.
snip…see;
TPW Commission Work Session Transcript January 21, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
JANUARY 21, 2026
COMMISSION HEARING ROOM
4200 SMITH SCHOOL ROAD
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78744
COMMISSION WORK SESSION AND EXECUTIVE SESSION
https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/meetings/2026/0326/agenda/prev_worksession_transcript.phtml
TPW Commission Meeting Transcript January 22, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
JANUARY 22, 2026
COMMISSION HEARING ROOM
4200 SMITH SCHOOL ROAD
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78744
COMMISSION MEETING
https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/meetings/2026/0326/agenda/prev_commission_transcript.phtml
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Science Update 2026 Update
CWD, Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Humans, oh my!
Texas Confirms 116 More Cases CWD, Total To Date 1,215 Positives
TPWD CWD Dashboard 1,215 Total Positive Samples
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8f6c27330c444a19b4b57beb7ffabb8b/page/Dashboard#data_s=id%3AdataSource_3-1966d773e34-layer-10%3A2
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2025
Texas TPWD Confirms 116 More Cases CWD, Total To Date 1,215 Positives
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/12/texas-tpwd-confirms-116-more-cases-cwd.html
TPWD CWD TRACKER PAGE AND CWD UPDATES DEAD IN THE WATER, and have been for a while, out of sight, out of mind, i suppose…
TEXAS CWD TRACKER PAGE
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/positive-cases/listing-cwd-cases-texas.phtml
Texas Confirms 116 More Cases CWD, Total To Date 1,215 Positives
TPWD CWD Dashboard 1,215 Total Positive Samples
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8f6c27330c444a19b4b57beb7ffabb8b/page/Dashboard#data_s=id%3AdataSource_3-1966d773e34-layer-10%3A2
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2025
Texas TPWD Confirms 116 More Cases CWD, Total To Date 1,215 Positives
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/12/texas-tpwd-confirms-116-more-cases-cwd.html
CWD Captive Herds
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/status-of-captive-herds.pdf
Texas Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Dashboard Update August 2025
SEE NEW DASHBOARD FOR CWD POSITIVES!
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8f6c27330c444a19b4b57beb7ffabb8b/page/Dashboard#data_s=id%3AdataSource_3-1966d773e34-layer-10%3A29
Texas CWD total by calendar years
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2024/12/texas-cwd-tse-prion-positive-samples-by.html
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/positive-cases/listing-cwd-cases-texas.phtml#texasCWD
Counties where CWD Exposed Deer were Released
https://tpwd.texas.gov/documents/257/CWD-Trace-OutReleaseSites.pdf
Number of CWD Exposed Deer Released by County
https://tpwd.texas.gov/documents/258/CWD-Trace-OutReleaseSites-NbrDeer.pdf
CWD Status Captive Herds
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/status-of-captive-herds.pdf
Trucking CWD TSE Prion
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion of Cervid
“CWD spreads among wild populations at a relatively slow rate, limited by the natural home range and dispersed nature of wild animals.”
NOW HOLD YOUR HORSES, Chronic Wasting Disease CWD of Cervid can spread rather swiftly, traveling around 50 MPH, from the back of truck and trailer, and Here in Texas, we call it ‘Trucking CWD’…
Preventive Veterinary Medicine Volume 234, January 2025, 106385
Use of biosecurity practices to prevent chronic wasting disease in Minnesota cervid herds
Vehicles or trailers that entered the farm were used to transport other live cervids, cervid carcasses, or cervid body parts in past 3 years in 64.3 % (95 % CI 46.3–82.3) of larger elk/reindeer herds compared to 13.6 % (95 % CI 4.7–22.4) of smaller deer herds.
Snip…
Identifying the exact pathway of initial CWD transmission to cervid herds is often not possible, in part due to many potential pathways of transmission for the infection, including both direct and indirect contact with infected farmed or wild cervids (Kincheloe et al., 2021). That study identified that transmissions from infected farmed cervids may occur from direct contact with the movement of cervids from one herd to another and from indirect contact with the sharing of equipment, vehicles, clothing, reproductive equipment, and potentially through semen or embryos.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016758772400271X
Texas is a fine example, see; “Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease and can devastate deer populations by silently spreading through direct animal contact and contaminated environments. Without close monitoring, illegal movement of captive deer increases the risk of introducing CWD to areas it is not known to exist, potentially leading to widespread outbreaks which will impact more than just the health of Texas deer.”
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20250227b
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2025
Texas Game Wardens Near Conclusion of ‘Ghost Deer’ Case with 24 Suspects, 1,400 Charges Filed Statewide
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/08/texas-game-wardens-near-conclusion-of.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/178/texas-game-wardens-conclusion-ghost
This CWD Study Could Change Deer Hunting FOREVER | The Check Station October 8, 2025 NW Arkansas
NW Arkansas CWD 11:25 minutes;
50% of all deer positive for CWD.
35% of Does are Positive for CWD.
68% Bucks are Positive for CWD.
Most Bucks NW Arkansas that where Tested, are Positive for CWD.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kTicUE-xsQU&t=695s&pp=2AG3BZACAQ%3D%3D
Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator Study
key takeaways ;
CWD substantially reduces deer survival rates and suppresses population growth.
Where CWD prevalence is high, deer populations are likely declining.
If CWD continues to spread, it will eventually impact deer populations elsewhere.
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/research/projects/dpp/StudyResults
***> CWD TSE PrP Environmental Factors <***
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion detection in environmental and biological samples from a taxidermy site and nursing facility, and instruments used in surveillance activities
Available online 9 April 2025
Highlights
• CWD prions were identified in a taxidermy and deer nursing facility.
• Contaminated samples included waters, soils, dermestid beetles, domestic flies and a dumpster.
• Surgical instruments used to collect deer samples can get contaminated with CWD prions.
• Some of the infectious particles are readily released from surgical instruments when washed.
• Our results suggest that taxidermy practices actively contribute in the spreading of CWD.
Snip…
In summary, the information provided in this report demonstrate how anthropogenic activities, specifically taxidermy practices, animal processing, and rehabilitation of CWD susceptible species, may facilitate CWD transmission through the environmental dissemination of CWD prions. This study, along with future research efforts characterizing the overall level of infectivity, provides relevant information on managing CWD and to control its rapid geographic expansion. …
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969725009544
Chronic wasting disease detection in environmental and biological samples from a taxidermy site
Results: The PMCA analysis demonstrated CWD seeding activity in some of the components of this facility, including insects involved in head processing, soils, and a trash dumpster.
Conclusions: Different areas of this property were used for various taxidermy procedures. We were able to detect the presence of prions in
i) soils that were in contact with the heads of dead animals, ii) insects involved in the cleaning of skulls, and iii) an empty dumpster where animal carcasses were previously placed.
This is the first report demonstrating that swabbing is a helpful method to screen for prion infectivity on surfaces potentially contaminated with CWD. These findings are relevant as this swabbing and amplification strategy may be used to evaluate the disease status of other free-ranging and captive settings where there is a concern for CWD transmissions, such as at feeders and water troughs with CWD-exposed properties. This approach could have substantial implications for free-ranging cervid surveillance as well as in epidemiological investigations of CWD.
Prion 2022 Conference abstracts: pushing the boundaries
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2022.2091286
Artificial mineral sites that pre-date endemic chronic wasting disease become prion hotspots
The Ames Research and Educational Center property, centrally located within the CWD zone of southwest Tennessee, contains 49 historical mineral supplementation sites that were decommissioned in 2012. Here, we demonstrate that 32 of the 49 (65%) mineral sites within Ames established prior to the regional CWD outbreak, serve as foci of environmental PrPCWD contamination. Detection of PrPCWD in soils from these artificial mineral sites was dependent on site-specific management efforts. Soil physical properties were very similar across sites and no correlation between PrPCWD detection and soil physical properties was found. The detection of PrPCWD in soils at attractant sites within an endemic CWD zone significantly advances our understanding of environmental PrPCWD accumulation dynamics, providing valuable information for advancing adaptive CWD management approaches.
https://intcwdsympo.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/final-agenda-with-abstracts.pdf
Shedding of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Multiple Excreta Throughout Disease Course in White-tailed Deer
Conclusions: These studies demonstrate: (a) CWD prion excretion occurs throughout infection; (2) PRNP genotype (GG≫GS/NT) influences the excreta shedding; and (3) detection sensitivity in excreta can vary with different RT-QuIC protocols. These results provide a more complete perspective of prion shedding in deer during the course of CWD infection.
Prion 2022 Conference abstracts: pushing the boundaries
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2022.2091286
***> Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at least 16 years
***> Nine of these recurrences occurred 14–21 years after culling, apparently as the result of environmental contamination, but outside entry could not always be absolutely excluded.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY Volume 87, Issue 12
Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at least 16 years Free
https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.82011-0
Rapid recontamination of a farm building occurs after attempted prion removal
First published: 19 January 2019 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105054
The data illustrates the difficulty in decontaminating farm buildings from scrapie, and demonstrates the likely contribution of farm dust to the recontamination of these environments to levels that are capable of causing disease. snip...
This study clearly demonstrates the difficulty in removing scrapie infectivity from the farm environment. Practical and effective prion decontamination methods are still urgently required for decontamination of scrapie infectivity from farms that have had cases of scrapie and this is particularly relevant for scrapie positive goatherds, which currently have limited genetic resistance to scrapie within commercial breeds.24 This is very likely to have parallels with control efforts for CWD in cervids.
https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1136/vr.105054
***>This is very likely to have parallels with control efforts for CWD in cervids.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30602491/
I remember what “deep throat” told me about Scrapie back around 2001, during early days of my BSE investigation, after my Mom died from hvCJD, I never forgot, and it seems it’s come to pass;
***> Confidential!!!!
***> As early as 1992-3 there had been long studies conducted on small pastures containing scrapie infected sheep at the sheep research station associated with the Neuropathogenesis Unit in Edinburgh, Scotland. Whether these are documented...I don't know. But personal recounts both heard and recorded in a daily journal indicate that leaving the pastures free and replacing the topsoil completely at least 2 feet of thickness each year for SEVEN years....and then when very clean (proven scrapie free) sheep were placed on these small pastures.... the new sheep also broke out with scrapie and passed it to offspring. I am not sure that TSE contaminated ground could ever be free of the agent!! A very frightening revelation!!!
---end personal email---end...tss
and so it seems…
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion
THE CWD TSE Prion aka mad cow type disease is not your normal pathogen.
The TSE prion disease survives ashing to 600 degrees celsius, that’s around 1112 degrees farenheit.
You cannot cook the TSE prion disease out of meat. In fact new data now shows that exposure to high temperatures used to cook the meat increased the availability of prions for in vitro amplification.
you can take the ash and mix it with saline and inject that ash into a mouse, and the mouse will go down with TSE.
Prion Infected Meat-and-Bone Meal Is Still Infectious after Biodiesel Production as well.
the TSE prion agent also survives Simulated Wastewater Treatment Processes.
IN fact, you should also know that the TSE Prion agent will survive in the environment for years, if not decades.
you can bury it and it will not go away.
The TSE agent is capable of infected your water table i.e. Detection of protease-resistant cervid prion protein in water from a CWD-endemic area.
it’s not your ordinary pathogen you can just cook it out and be done
New studies on the heat resistance of hamster-adapted scrapie agent: Threshold survival after ashing at 600°C suggests an inorganic template of replication
http://www.pnas.org/content/97/7/3418.full
Prion Infected Meat-and-Bone Meal Is Still Infectious after Biodiesel Production
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2493038/
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
https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1746-6148-9-134.pdf
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
BSE infectivity survives burial for five years with only limited spread
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00705-019-04154-8.pdf
Chronic wasting disease prions on deer feeders and wildlife visitation to deer feeding areas
First published: 10 February 2025
Snip…
Finally, we swabbed 19 feeders in 2 areas where CWD was newly detected, finding prion contamination on swabs from 4 feeders. We show that deer feeders in free-ranging populations with high CWD prevalence become contaminated with CWD prions quickly, becoming a potential site of exposure of deer to CWD prions. Our results also demonstrate the ability to find evidence of prion contamination on deer feeders, even in areas where CWD is newly detected.
Snip…
We found that supplemental feeding increased the risk of exposure to CWD prions due to contamination of feeders, increased deer visitation, and increased deer-to-deer contact.
The 12-fold increase in deer visitation to feeders compared to mast trees and 2-fold increase compared to food plots demonstrates increased risk for direct disease spread.
https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.70000
Chronic Wasting Disease in Texas A Real Disease with Proven Impacts
Produced by a coalition of concerned hunters, landowners, & conservationists (last update 1/2025)
storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b93f528938ac48e9b56dcc79953cbec0
Aug 18, 2021
Oh, Deer
Heading Off a Wildlife Epidemic
CWD poses a significant threat to the future of hunting in Texas. Deer population declines of 45 and 50 percent have been documented in Colorado and Wyoming. A broad infection of Texas deer populations resulting in similar population impacts would inflict severe economic damage to rural communities and could negatively impact land markets. Specifically, those landowners seeking to establish a thriving herd of deer could avoid buying in areas with confirmed CWD infections. As they do with anthrax-susceptible properties, land brokers may find it advisable to inquire about the status of CWD infections on properties that they present for sale. Prospective buyers should also investigate the status of the wildlife on prospective properties. In addition, existing landowners should monitor developments as TPWD crafts management strategies to identify and contain this deadly disease.
Dr. Gilliland (c-gilliland@tamu.edu) is a research economist with the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.
www.recenter.tamu.edu/articles/tierra-grande/oh-d
2025
***> Cwd, cattle, pigs, sheep, raccoons, oh my <***
Price of TSE Prion Poker goes up substantially, all you cattle ranchers and such, better pay close attention here...terry
"Cattle with the E211K polymorphism are susceptible to the CWD agent after oronasal exposure of 0.2 g of infectious material."
Transmission of the chronic wasting disease agent from elk to cattle after oronasal exposure
Justin Greenlee, Jifeng Bian, Zoe Lambert, Alexis Frese, and Eric Cassmann Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, Ames, IA, USA
Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the susceptibility of cattle to chronic wasting disease agent from elk.
Materials and Methods: Initial studies were conducted in bovinized mice using inoculum derived from elk with various genotypes at codon 132 (MM, LM, LL). Based upon attack rates, inoculum (10% w/v brain homogenate) from an LM132 elk was selected for transmission studies in cattle. At approximately 2 weeks of age, one wild type steer (EE211) and one steer with the E211K polymorphism (EK211) were fed 1 mL of brain homogenate in a quart of milk replacer while another 1 mL was instilled intranasally. The cattle were examined daily for clinical signs for the duration of the experiment. One steer is still under observation at 71 months post-inoculation (mpi).
Results: Inoculum derived from MM132 elk resulted in similar attack rates and incubation periods in mice expressing wild type or K211 bovine PRNP, 35% at 531 days post inoculation (dpi) and 27% at 448 dpi, respectively. Inoculum from LM132 elk had a slightly higher attack rates in mice: 45% (693 dpi) in wild type cattle PRNP and 33% (468) in K211 mice. Inoculum from LL132 elk resulted in the highest attack rate in wild type bovinized mice (53% at 625 dpi), but no K211 mice were affected at >700 days. At approximately 70 mpi, the EK211 genotype steer developed clinical signs suggestive of prion disease, depression, low head carriage, hypersalivation, and ataxia, and was necropsied. Enzyme immunoassay (IDEXX) was positive in brainstem (OD=4.00, but non-detect in retropharyngeal lymph nodes and palatine tonsil. Immunoreactivity was largely limited to the brainstem, midbrain, and cervical spinal cord with a pattern that was primarily glia-associated.
Conclusions: Cattle with the E211K polymorphism are susceptible to the CWD agent after oronasal exposure of 0.2 g of infectious material.
https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20250828201533/https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed-Zahid-Shah/publication/378314391_Meeting-book-final-version_prion_2023/links/65d44dad28b7720cecdca95f/Meeting-book-final-version-prion-2023.pdf
Prion Conference 2023
Transmission of the chronic wasting disease agent from elk to cattle after oronasal exposure
Conclusions: Cattle with the E211K polymorphism are susceptible to the CWD agent after oronasal exposure of 0.2 g of infectious material.
Strain characterization of chronic wasting disease in bovine-PrP transgenic mice
Conclusions: Altogether, these results exhibit the diversity of CWD strains present in the panel of CWD isolates and the ability of at least some CWD isolates to infect bovine species. Cattle being one of the most important farming species, this ability represents a potential threat to both animal and human health, and consequently deserves further study.
https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20250828201533/https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed-Zahid-Shah/publication/378314391_Meeting-book-final-version_prion_2023/links/65d44dad28b7720cecdca95f/Meeting-book-final-version-prion-2023.pdf
***> CWD PIGS, OH MY! <***
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2026
Chronic wasting disease prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America Preliminary Outbreak
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697a3b013c71d838df6bd413/CWD_Prions_in_Cervids_and_Wild_Pigs_in_North_America.pdf
https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/01/chronic-wasting-disease-prions-in.html
Volume 31, Number 1—January 2025
Detection of Prions in Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) from Areas with Reported Chronic Wasting Disease Cases, United States
Abstract
Using a prion amplification assay, we identified prions in tissues from wild pigs (Sus scrofa) living in areas of the United States with variable chronic wasting disease (CWD) epidemiology. Our findings indicate that scavenging swine could play a role in disseminating CWD and could therefore influence its epidemiology, geographic distribution, and interspecies spread.
Conclusions
In summary, results from this study showed that wild pigs are exposed to cervid prions, although the pigs seem to display some resistance to infection via natural exposure. Future studies should address the susceptibility of this invasive animal species to the multiple prion strains circulating in the environment. Nonetheless, identification of CWD prions in wild pig tissues indicated the potential for pigs to move prions across the landscape, which may, in turn, influence the epidemiology and geographic spread of CWD.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/1/24-0401_article
Currently, swine rations in the U.S. could contain animal derived components including materials from deer or elk. In addition, feral swine could be exposed to infected carcasses in areas where CWD is present in wildlife populations. The current feed ban in the U.S. is based exclusively on keeping tissues from TSE infected cattle from entering animal feeds. These results indicating the susceptibility of pigs to CWD, coupled with the limitations of the current feed ban, indicates that a revision of the feed ban may be necessary to protect swine production and potentially human health.
The successful transmission of pig-passaged CWD to Tg40 mice reported here suggests that passage of the CWD agent through pigs results in a change of the transmission characteristics which reduces the transmission barrier of Tg40 mice to the CWD agent. If this biological behavior is recapitulated in the original host species, passage of the CWD agent through pigs could potentially lead to increased pathogenicity of the CWD agent in humans. Interestingly, bioassay of material from the longest surviving >6 month orally challenged pig (72 mpc), which was negative for PrPcwd by all other tests, produced a positive bioassay result. Bioassay of material from additional animals is currently underway. This study demonstrates that pigs can serve as potential hosts for CWD, although with low attack rates and scant PrPcwd accumulation. Detection of infectivity in orally challenged pigs using mouse bioassay raises the possibility that naturally exposed pigs act as a reservoir of CWD infectivity, even though affected pigs do not develop overt clinical signs or readily detectable PrPcwd.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=326166
cwd scrapie pigs oral routes
***> However, at 51 months of incubation or greater, 5 animals were positive by one or more diagnostic methods. Furthermore, positive bioassay results were obtained from all inoculated groups (oral and intracranial; market weight and end of study) suggesting that swine are potential hosts for the agent of scrapie. <***
*** Although the current U.S. feed ban is based on keeping tissues from TSE infected cattle from contaminating animal feed, swine rations in the U.S. could contain animal derived components including materials from scrapie infected sheep and goats. These results indicating the susceptibility of pigs to sheep scrapie, coupled with the limitations of the current feed ban, indicates that a revision of the feed ban may be necessary to protect swine production and potentially human health. <***
***> Results: PrPSc was not detected by EIA and IHC in any RPLNs. All tonsils and MLNs were negative by IHC, though the MLN from one pig in the oral <6 month group was positive by EIA. PrPSc was detected by QuIC in at least one of the lymphoid tissues examined in 5/6 pigs in the intracranial <6 months group, 6/7 intracranial >6 months group, 5/6 pigs in the oral <6 months group, and 4/6 oral >6 months group. Overall, the MLN was positive in 14/19 (74%) of samples examined, the RPLN in 8/18 (44%), and the tonsil in 10/25 (40%).
***> Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PrPSc accumulates in lymphoid tissues from pigs challenged intracranially or orally with the CWD agent, and can be detected as early as 4 months after challenge. CWD-infected pigs rarely develop clinical disease and if they do, they do so after a long incubation period. This raises the possibility that CWD-infected pigs could shed prions into their environment long before they develop clinical disease. Furthermore, lymphoid tissues from CWD-infected pigs could present a potential source of CWD infectivity in the animal and human food chains.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=353091
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=432011&fy=2017
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=337105
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PrPSc accumulates in lymphoid tissues from pigs challenged intracranially or orally with the CWD agent, and can be detected as early as 4 months after challenge. CWD-infected pigs rarely develop clinical disease and if they do, they do so after a long incubation period. This raises the possibility that CWD-infected pigs could shed prions into their environment long before they develop clinical disease. Furthermore, lymphoid tissues from CWD-infected pigs could present a potential source of CWD infectivity in the animal and human food chains.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=337105
Component 6: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Sheep scrapie agent can infect white-tailed deer after oronasal exposure.
The origin of chronic wasting disease (CWD) is not known, but it has many similarities to the sheep prion disease called scrapie. It has long been hypothesized that CWD arose through transmission of sheep scrapie to deer. ARS researchers in Ames, Iowa, conducted research to determine if scrapie derived from sheep could be transmitted to white-tailed deer. The deer inoculated with sheep scrapie developed clinical signs and the abnormal prion protein could be detected in a wide range of tissues. These results indicate that deer may be susceptible to sheep scrapie if exposed to the disease in natural or agricultural settings. In addition, several strong similarities between CWD in white-tailed deer and the experimental cases of scrapie in white-tailed deer suggests that it would be difficult to distinguish scrapie from CWD in deer or identify scrapie if a case occurs. This information should be considered by deer farmers for keeping their herds free from prion diseases.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/np103/AnnualReports/NP103%20FY2023%20Annual%20Report_Final.pdf
The chronic wasting disease agent from white-tailed deer is highly infectious to humanized mice after passage through raccoons
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=400777
Docket No. FDA-2003-D-0432 (formerly 03D-0186) Use of Material from Deer and Elk in Animal Feed
PUBLIC SUBMISSION
Comment from Terry Singeltary Sr.
Posted by the Food and Drug Administration on May 17, 2016 Comment
Docket No. FDA-2003-D-0432 (formerly 03D-0186) Use of Material from Deer and Elk in Animal Feed Singeltary Submission
https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FDA-2003-D-0432-0011
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FDA-2003-D-0432
CWD cash cow, indemnity?
‘cash cow’?
they call it indemnity, tax payers paying for captive CWD?
2025 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES – ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
Cervids
APHIS works with State agencies to encourage cervid owners to certify their herds by meeting the requirements in the CWD Herd Certification Program (HCP) Standards. APHIS’ voluntary national CWD HCP helps States, Tribes, and the cervid industry control CWD in farmed cervids by allowing the interstate movement only from certified herds. Currently, 28 States participate in the national CWD HCP.
In 2023, eight percent of the farmed cervids in the HCP were tested for CWD at APHIS and State laboratories.
Of the 303,242 farmed cervids tested in 2023, APHIS confirmed 22 new CWD positive farmed cervid herds.
APHIS provided Federal indemnity to depopulate one of the newly identified positive herds and approved an indemnity payment for a second positive herd which will be provided in 2024 once depopulation occurs. The remaining infected herds are under State quarantines.
APHIS determines the use of Federal indemnity payments within the CWD program on a case-by-case basis. In 2023, APHIS made approximately $12.3 million available for cooperative agreements with States and Tribal governments to further develop and implement CWD surveillance, testing, management, and response activities. This includes the further development and evaluation of techniques and strategies to prevent or control CWD in farmed and wild cervid populations. APHIS funded cooperative agreement with 22 States, 15 universities, and 11 Tribes and Tribal Organizations for CWD projects…
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/22-APHIS-2025-ExNotes.pdf
2024 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES – ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
Cervids
APHIS works with State agencies to encourage cervid owners to certify their herds by meeting the requirements in the CWD Herd Certification Program (HCP) Standards. APHIS’ voluntary national CWD HCP helps States, Tribes, and the cervid industry control CWD in farmed cervids by allowing the interstate movement only from certified herds.
Currently, 28 States participate in the national CWD HCP.
In 2022, 7 percent of the 285,589 farmed cervids in the HCP participating states were tested for CWD at State and APHIS laboratories.
APHIS confirmed 23 new CWD positive farmed cervid herds.
APHIS provided Federal indemnity to depopulate nine of the newly identified positive herds in 2022. The remaining infected herds are under State quarantines. APHIS determines the use of Federal indemnity payments within the CWD program on a case-by-case basis. In 2022, APHIS made approximately $9.4 million available for cooperative agreements with States and Tribal governments to further develop and implement CWD surveillance, testing, management, and response activities. This includes the further development and evaluation of techniques and strategies to prevent or control CWD in farmed and wild cervid populations. APHIS funded 27 States and 5 Tribes, 1 Tribal Organization, and 1 State university. The State university agreement was to conduct wild cervid surveillance on Tribal lands…
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/23-2024-APHIS.pdf
2023 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES – ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
Cervids
APHIS coordinates with State agencies to encourage cervid owners to certify their herds and comply with the CWD Herd Certification Program (HCP) Standards…
APHIS’ voluntary national CWD HCP helps States, Tribes, and the cervid industry control CWD in farmed cervids by allowing the interstate movement only from certified herds.
Currently, 28 States participate in the national CWD HCP. In FY 2021, more than 20,502 farmed cervids were tested for CWD at State and APHIS laboratories.
As a result, APHIS identified 35 new CWD positive farmed cervid herds.
APHIS provided Federal indemnity to depopulate nine of the newly identified deer herds in FY 2021. The remaining infected herds are under State quarantines. APHIS determines the use of Federal indemnity payments within the CWD program on a case-by-case basis. In 2021, APHIS made $5.6 million available in cooperative agreement funding to further develop and implement CWD surveillance, testing, management, and response activities, including the further development and evaluation of techniques and strategies to prevent or control CWD in farmed and wild cervid populations. APHIS funded awards to 39 entities: 20 to State Departments of Wildlife, 11 to State Departments of Agriculture, and 8 to Tribal Organizations.
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/23-2023-APHIS.pdf
2022 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES – ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
Cervids
APHIS coordinates with State agencies to encourage cervid owners to certify their herds and comply with the CWD Herd Certification Program Standards…
APHIS’ voluntary national CWD Herd Certification Plan (HCP) helps States, Tribes, and the cervid industry control CWD in farmed cervids by allowing the interstate movement only from certified herds.
Currently, 28 States participate in the national CWD HCP. In FY 2020, more than 11,182 farmed cervids were tested for CWD at State and APHIS laboratories.
As a result, APHIS identified 22 new CWD positive farmed cervid herds.
APHIS provided Federal indemnity to depopulate 15 of the 22 newly identified deer herds in FY 2020.
Four additional farmed cervid herds that were identified as CWD positive herds in FY 2019, were indemnified in FY 2020.
The remaining infected herds are under State quarantines.
APHIS determines the use of Federal indemnity payments within the CWD program on a case- by-case basis. In FY 2020, APHIS and the Department of Interior held a virtual summit with representatives from State agriculture and wildlife agencies, Tribal Nations, conservation and hunting groups, and the cervid industry to identify and discuss stakeholder CWD management needs and information gaps that need to be addressed to effectively control CWD. The information from the summit helped APHIS establish priorities for proposals for competitive cooperative agreements dedicated to CWD control. These cooperative agreement opportunities allow for State departments of agriculture, State animal health agencies, State departments of wildlife or natural resources, and Tribal governments to further develop and implement CWD management and response activities in accordance with the following priorities:
• improving CWD management of affected farmed herds and free-ranging endemic populations;
• improving CWD management of affected areas or premises;
• conducting additional research on amplification assays;
• conducting additional research on predictive genetics; and,
• developing and/or delivering educational outreach materials or programs.
To execute projects based upon those priorities, APHIS funded awards to 25 entities:
19 to State Departments of Natural Resources, 5 to State Departments of Agriculture, and 1 to Tribal Nations.
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/22APHIS2022Notes.pdf
2021 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES – ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
Cervids
In FY 2019, 10 mule deer were tested as part of the project and all 10 tested negative.
Currently, 28 States participate in APHIS’ voluntary national CWD Herd Certification Plan (HCP).
In FY 2019 APHIS tested more than 11,000 farmed cervids for CWD.
As a result, APHIS identified 17 new CWD positive farmed cervid herds.
APHIS provided Federal indemnity to depopulate 7 of the 17 newly identified deer herds in FY 2019. The remaining infected herds found in FY 2019 are under State quarantines.
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/20aphis2021notes.pdf
2020 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES – ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
Cervids
APHIS’ voluntary national CWD Herd Certification Plan (HCP) helps States, Tribes, and the cervid industry control CWD in farmed cervids by allowing the interstate movement only from certified herds.
Currently, 28 States participate in the national CWD HCP and the program used an immunohistochemistry test method to test 21,584 farmed cervids for CWD.
In FY 2018, APHIS identified 15 new CWD positive farmed cervid herds (14 deer herds and 1 reindeer herd).
The reindeer herd in Illinois was the first confirmed case of CWD in a reindeer in North America.
APHIS provided Federal indemnity to depopulate seven of the 15 newly identified deer herds in FY 2018.
The Agency also provided funding for the test and removal of 161 high risk animals that were in close proximity to reactors.
The remaining herds in FY 2018 are under State quarantines.
The Agency determines the use of Federal indemnities within the CWD program on a case-by-case basis. 20-59
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/20aphis2020notes.pdf
2019 President’s Budget Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Cervids
APHIS’ voluntary national CWD Herd Certification Plan (HCP) helps States, Tribes, and the cervid industry control CWD in farmed cervids by allowing the interstate movement only from certified herds.
Currently, 28 States participate in the national CWD HCP and the program tested 23,053 farmed cervids for CWD.
In FY 2017, eight new CWD positive farmed cervid herds were identified– one white-tail deer in Iowa, one white-tail deer herd in Minnesota, one white-tail and mule deer herd in Minnesota, one white-tail and sika deer herd in Michigan, three white-tail deer herds in Pennsylvania, and one white-tail deer herd in Texas.
APHIS provided Federal indemnity to depopulate the Iowa herd, the white-tail deer herd in Minnesota, one herd in Pennsylvania and the Texas herd. The State depopulated the Michigan herd. The remaining herds are under State quarantines. One Texas herd used Federal indemnity to remove and test select, high-risk animals to inform the epidemiological investigation and to evaluate the performance of ante-mortem tests.
The Agency determines the use of Federal indemnities within the CWD program on a case-by-case basis. The CWD Program Standards provide guidance on how to meet CWD Herd Certification Program and interstate movement requirements. In July 2016, APHIS convened a working group of State and Federal animal health and wildlife officials and representatives from the farmed cervidae industry to review the CWD Program Standards. APHIS issued a summary of the working group’s discussions and recommended changes to the CWD Program Standards at the 2016 United States Animal Health Association meeting for public comment. APHIS evaluated public comments, and is currently reviewing revisions to the CWD Program. In FY 2017, APHIS published VS Guidance 8000: Requirements for Interstate Transport of Wild Caught Cervids. This guidance document establishes a recommended minimum standard for testing and a uniform process of disease risk assessment to help prevent the spread of cervid diseases such as chronic wasting disease (CWD), bovine tuberculosis (TB), and brucellosis when wild cervids are captured for interstate movement and release.
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/20aphis2019notes.pdf
2018 President’s Budget Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Cervids
APHIS’ voluntary national CWD Herd Certification Plan (HCP) helps States, Tribes, and the cervid industry control CWD in farmed cervids by allowing the interstate movement only from certified herds considered to be low risk.
Currently, 29 States participate in the national CWD HCP.
In FY 2016, the program tested 14,503 farmed cervids for CWD and identified seven new CWD positive farmed cervid herds – two white-tail deer herds in Texas, three white-tail deer herds in Wisconsin, one elk herd in Colorado and one elk herd in Iowa. The elk herd in Colorado was depopulated without Federal indemnity and the rest of the herds are under State quarantines. One Texas herd used Federal indemnity to remove and test select animals to inform the epidemiological investigation and to evaluate 20-72 the performance of ante-mortem tests.
The use of Federal indemnities within the CWD program is determined on a case-by-case basis. APHIS is also conducting several pilot projects related to new technologies. In FY 2016, the Agency sponsored a pilot project in Ohio to evaluate the use of a new method for ante-mortem testing in whitetail deer known as rectoanal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue or RAMALT testing. A proof-of-concept pilot project was also performed by APHIS’ National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) to evaluate ante-mortem biopsies of the medial retropharyngeal lymph node biopsy or MRPLN biopsy. APHIS anticipates implementing both types of ante- mortem testing in the future. Beginning early September 2014, APHIS, in cooperation with the National Agricultural Statistics Service, conducted the first national study of the U.S. farmed cervid industry. The study surveyed 3,000 producers from all States that have farmed cervids. The study provides baseline industry statistics, a description of current production practices and challenges, producer-reported disease occurrences, and an overview of health management and biosecurity practices. A report from the study is now available in electronic and printed formats at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/nahms.
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/20aphisexnotes2018.pdf
2017 Explanatory Notes Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Cervids
APHIS’ voluntary national CWD Herd Certification Plan (HCP) helps States, Tribes, and the cervid industry control CWD in farmed cervids by allowing the interstate movement only from certified herds considered to be low risk.
Currently, 30 States participate in the national CWD HCP: 29 have Approved Status and 1 has Provisional Approved Status. States that meet the CWD HCP requirements have Approved Status and States that do not meet CWD HCP program requirements but have developed a work plan and time frame with APHIS to complete those requirements have Provisional Approved Status.
In FY 2015, the program tested approximately 20,000 farmed cervids for CWD and identified eight new CWD positive farmed white-tailed deer herds – one in Utah, one in Pennsylvania, two in Ohio, two in Wisconsin, and two in Texas.
APHIS depopulated five of these herds (Pennsylvania, Utah, and one each in Wisconsin, Texas, and Ohio). Six elk herds in Colorado, four elk herds in Nebraska, one white-tailed deer herd in Wisconsin and one white-tailed deer herd in Texas remained in quarantine at the end of FY 2015.
APHIS also provided indemnity for and was the lead agency for the depopulation and disposal of four large CWD infected farmed cervid herds in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Utah, and Texas. In cooperation with the National Agricultural Statistics Service, APHIS conducted the first national study of the U.S. farmed-cervid industry in FY 2015. The study provides baseline industry statistics, a description of production practices and challenges, producer-reported disease occurrences, and an overview of health management and biosecurity practices.
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/20aphis2017notes.pdf
2016 Explanatory Notes Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/20aphis2016notes.pdf
2015 Explanatory Notes Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/20aphis2015notes.pdf
2014 Explanatory Notes Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/18aphis2014notes.pdf
USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE 2025-2014 CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD TSE CERVID
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/09/usda-explanatory-notes-animal-and-plant.html
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2025
Captive Cervid and the Economic Burden of Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/10/captive-cervid-and-economic-burden-of.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/183/captive-cervid-economic-burden-prion
APHIS USDA Captive CWD Herds Update by State December 2025 Update
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/12/aphis-usda-captive-cwd-herds-update-by.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/187/aphis-captive-herds-update-december
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2026
***> Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion, Economical, Environmental, Zoonotic, Risk Factors 2026 <***
https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/02/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse-prion.html
ARS Research Project: Elucidating the Pathobiology and Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies 2025
“ARS researchers in Ames, Iowa, showed that white-tailed deer sick with scrapie from sheep can infect other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure. Furthermore, this work shows that CWD is difficult to differentiate from WTD infected with scrapie. WTD scrapie prions accumulate in the lymphoreticular system in a manner similar to CWD, meaning that environmental contamination may occur through feces, saliva, and other body fluids of scrapie affected WTD as has been shown for CWD. The presence of WTD infected with scrapie could confound mitigation efforts for chronic wasting disease. This information informs regulatory officials, the farmed cervid industry, and officials tasked with protecting animal health such as state Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, or Parks and Wildlife with regard to a disease similar to CWD but arising from sheep scrapie that could be present in WTD that have contact with scrapie affected sheep and/or goats.”
Research Project: Elucidating the Pathobiology and Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Location: Virus and Prion Research
2025 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Develop highly sensitive detection tools to determine the distribution of CWD and scrapie prions in natural hosts (sheep, goats, cervids) and their environment.
Objective 2: Investigate the pathobiology of CWD, scrapie prion strains, and atypical TSEs in natural hosts including potential cross species transmission events.
Objective 3: Investigate the genetics of CWD susceptibility and resistance in white-tailed deer.
Objective 4: Evaluate the presence of and determine the appropriate methodology for CWD strain determination.
Approach
Eradication or control of a family of diseases is unlikely or impossible when an understanding of the basic mechanisms and influences on transmission are unknown and for which methods to evaluate disease status are lacking. Scrapie and BSE represent the most thoroughly studied TSEs; however, significant knowledge gaps persist with regard to the atypical variants of these diseases. Further, much of the research emphasis to date on genetics of prion disease has focused on the recipient genotype rather than the source. Since both atypical BSE and atypical scrapie have been suggested to occur spontaneously, eradication of these diseases may not be possible unless we expand our understanding of the disease at both the source and recipient level. A better understanding of the tissue distribution and potential transmission of these atypical isolates is critical to understanding what risk these disease variants may pose to ongoing control and eradication efforts. The European epizootic of BSE is waning and efforts to eradicate scrapie in the U.S. and abroad have progressed but are not complete. In the U.S., chronic wasting disease (CWD) presents the most serious challenge to regulatory efforts. CWD appears to be spreading unchecked in both free-ranging and farmed cervids. Methods for antemortem detection of TSEs in general and CWD in particular are needed to fulfill the goal of eradicating scrapie and controlling CWD. Performing these studies will allow us to address critical knowledge gaps that are relevant to developing measures to restrict further disease expansion beyond current, affected populations. Understanding prion disease persistence in animal populations is challenging due to lack of tools for study and a less than complete understanding of transmission among animals within a flock or herd or in naturally occurring reservoirs. In addition to transmission between hosts of like species, free-ranging cervids may come in contact with numerous other species including cattle, sheep, and other susceptible hosts. Transmission of CWD to other species has been studied but limited with regard to the source genotype used. The four primary objectives are inherently linked. Our focus is on developing tools needed for control and research, and using those tools to advance our understanding the complex disease process with the overall goal of eradication and control of disease in livestock, wildlife of economic importance, and potential wildlife reservoirs.
Progress Report
The goals of the project plan for fiscal year (FY) 2025 consisted of 12 milestones, 11 of which were either fully or substantially met. The only milestone in this plan that was not met was due to insufficient animal availability and space constraints. Previous studies utilizing this space are not complete due to longer than anticipated incubation periods and cannot be initiated until those studies are complete. In work toward addressing
Objective 1, “Develop highly sensitive detection tools to determine the distribution of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and scrapie prions in natural hosts (sheep, goats, cervids) and their environment”, we have worked closely with ARS researchers in Pullman, Washington, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and university partners. The tools under development are directly utilized by state diagnostic labs and have been shared with the appropriate end users for evaluation. We have also assessed alternative dyes that have do not induce amyloid formation in the amplification based diagnostic assay known as RT-QuIC. While no increase in sensitivity was observed, differences between strains were found offering an additional means to differentiate strains for some TSEs.
Objective 2, “Investigate the pathobiology of CWD, scrapie prion strains, and atypical TSEs in natural hosts including potential cross species transmission events”, the studies in question have been initiated with the goal of furthering the understanding of these TSEs in agriculturally relevant species including the natural host species and other that may be exposed to these TSEs in an agricultural environment. The studies are ongoing and anticipated to last upwards of 5 year and observation of the animals is ongoing. No anticipated signs of disease or relevant reportable information have been seen nor are they expected until near the onset of clinical signs, but if they are observed they will be reported.
Objective 3, “Investigate the genetics of CWD susceptibility and resistance in white-tailed deer”, consists of two subobjectives:
A) Investigate the susceptibility of white-tailed deer to CWD modeling direct contact exposure with infected deer, and
B) Investigate the susceptibility of white-tailed deer to CWD after direct inoculation.
The first of these has been initiated on schedule while the second has been delayed considerably (greater than 3 years at this point) due to insufficient animal space.Upon completion these two studies will aid in understanding the disease and disease progression.
Objective 4, “Evaluate the presence of and determine the appropriate methodology for CWD strain determination”, is dependent upon obtaining a diverse set of CWD isolates. We are continuing the acquisition of these samples. . Strains are one of the least understood aspects of TSEs as a whole and of importance in understanding the risks of CWD. We have initiated studies that will address the biochemical nature of prion strains and how these strains are maintained in a host which will aid in addressing features and differentiation of strains as additional samples become available.
Accomplishments
1. 01 Determined that white-tailed deer (WTD) infected with scrapie from sheep can transmit the disease to other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure. It has long been suggested that prion disease in deer (chronic wasting disease (CWD)) was caused by the prion agent from sheep. The prion disease that affects sheep, scrapie, has been recognized for hundreds of years. However, chronic wasting disease, a similar disease found in WTD, has only been recognized since the 1960s. ARS researchers in Ames, Iowa, showed that white-tailed deer sick with scrapie from sheep can infect other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure. Furthermore, this work shows that CWD is difficult to differentiate from WTD infected with scrapie. WTD scrapie prions accumulate in the lymphoreticular system in a manner similar to CWD, meaning that environmental contamination may occur through feces, saliva, and other body fluids of scrapie affected WTD as has been shown for CWD. The presence of WTD infected with scrapie could confound mitigation efforts for chronic wasting disease. This information informs regulatory officials, the farmed cervid industry, and officials tasked with protecting animal health such as state Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, or Parks and Wildlife with regard to a disease similar to CWD but arising from sheep scrapie that could be present in WTD that have contact with scrapie affected sheep and/or goats.
2. 02 Showed that gene-targeted mice are capable of reproducing strain specific effects typically limited to natural host species of chronic wasting disease (CWD). CWD is a highly contagious disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer found in North America, South Korea, and Scandinavian countries that is caused by misfolded proteins called prions. CWD prions transmit through direct contact between infected animals, or through contaminated soil, grass, or water. All prion diseases exhibit progressive neurodegeneration and ultimately death. Scientists typically study CWD by injecting prions into susceptible animals' brains in lab experiments. Intracranial prion injections are favored because they typically produce shorter incubation periods and higher disease attack rates compared to natural infection. ARS researchers in Ames, Iowa, along with university collaborators showed that this inoculation method can cause the prion strains to change in a way that does not accurately reflect how the disease spreads naturally. They found that using a combination of peripheral inoculation (injection outside the brain) in natural hosts and using novel gene-targeted mice generated in a manner that provides a more natural expression of the inserted prion gene that gives a more accurate picture of how CWD behaves in the real world. The novel mouse model provides an important strategy to precisely assess the zoonotic potential (likelihood of transmission from animals to humans) of CWD and other animal prion diseases using natural routes of transmission. This will impact the tools used and direction of future studies of CWD and other prion diseases allowing more rapid and comprehensive responses to emerging questions aiding both the researchers at the producers they support…end
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=440677&fy=202
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD vs Scrapie TSE Prion
Volume 30, Number 8—August 2024
Research
Scrapie Versus Chronic Wasting Disease in White-Tailed Deer
Zoe J. Lambert1, Jifeng Bian, Eric D. Cassmann, M. Heather West Greenlee, and Justin J. Greenlee
Author affiliations: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA (Z.J. Lambert); US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA (Z.J. Lambert, J. Bian, E.D. Cassmann, J.J. Greenlee); Iowa State University, Ames (Z.J. Lambert, M.H. West Greenlee) Suggested citation for this article
Abstract
White-tailed deer are susceptible to scrapie (WTD scrapie) after oronasal inoculation with the classical scrapie agent from sheep. Deer affected by WTD scrapie are difficult to differentiate from deer infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD). To assess the transmissibility of the WTD scrapie agent and tissue phenotypes when further passaged in white-tailed deer, we oronasally inoculated wild-type white-tailed deer with WTD scrapie agent. We found that WTD scrapie and CWD agents were generally similar, although some differences were noted. The greatest differences were seen in bioassays of cervidized mice that exhibited significantly longer survival periods when inoculated with WTD scrapie agent than those inoculated with CWD agent. Our findings establish that white-tailed deer are susceptible to WTD scrapie and that the presence of WTD scrapie agent in the lymphoreticular system suggests the handling of suspected cases should be consistent with current CWD guidelines because environmental shedding may occur.
snip…
The potential for zoonoses of cervid-derived PrPSc is still not well understood (6,18,45–47); however, interspecies transmission can increase host range and zoonotic potential (48–50). Therefore, to protect herds and the food supply, suspected cases of WTD scrapie should be handled the same as cases of CWD.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/30/8/24-0007_article
Research Project: Elucidating the Pathobiology and Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Location: Virus and Prion Research
2025 Annual Report
https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2025/12/ars-research-elucidating-pathobiology.html
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2026
atypical Nor-98, CH1641, Scrapie, TSE Prion, Update 2026
https://nor-98.blogspot.com/2026/02/atypical-nor-98-ch1641-scrapie-tse.html
***> PIGS CWD PIGS CWD PIGS CWD <***
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2026
***> CWD TSE Prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America Preliminary Outbreak <***
Chronic wasting disease prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America Preliminary Outbreak
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697a3b013c71d838df6bd413/CWD_Prions_in_Cervids_and_Wild_Pigs_in_North_America.pdf
https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/01/chronic-wasting-disease-prions-in.html
THURSDAY, JANUARY 08, 2026
Confucius Ponders, what about Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) and CWD TSE Prion, and the Environment, what if?
Confucius Ponders, what about Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa), they can cover some distance rather quickly, what about Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) digging up the terrain, and as they do it, what if these Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) were exposed to CWD TSE Prion, and then they go on exposing and saturating the land with CWD TSE Prion, then the soil becomes contaminated with CWD TSE Prion, then what about the plants that grow from that soil for the decades to come, what if???
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/190/confucius-ponders-wild-pigs-scrofa
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/01/confucius-ponders-what-about-wild-pigs.html
Scrapie, CWD, BSE, CJD, TSE, PrP Update 2026
***> CWD Action Plan National Program 103 Animal Health 2022-2027 UPDATE JANUARY 2026
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/189/action-national-program-animal-health
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/01/cwd-action-plan-national-program-103.html
***> SCRAPIE TSE Prion USA RAPID RESPONSE URGENT UPDATES DECEMBER 25, 2025
***> CWD vs Scrapie Urgent Update
https://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2025/12/scrapie-tse-prion-usa-rapid-response.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/186/scrapie-prion-response-urgent-updates
***> 2026 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES, APHIS, CWD, BSE, Scrapie, TSE, Prion
https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2025/12/2026-usda-explanatory-notes-aphis-cwd.html
USDA National Scrapie Program History and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE TSE Update 2025 and history there from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396084947_USDA_National_Scrapie_Program_History_and_Bovine_Spongiform_Encephalopathy_BSE_TSE0AUpdate_2
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026
Pathogenesis, Transmission and Detection of Zoonotic Prion Diseases Project Number 5P01AI077774-14 2025
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/01/pathogenesis-transmission-and-detection.html
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2025
USDA National Scrapie Program History and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE TSE Update 2025
https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2025/09/usda-national-scrapie-program-history.html
https://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2025/09/usda-national-scrapie-program-history.html
GMO deer, don’t mess with Mother Nature! be very careful playing God$$$
Review on PRNP genetics and susceptibility to chronic wasting disease of Cervidae
Published: 07 October 2021 Volume 52, article number 128, (2021)
Veterinary Research
Katayoun Moazami-Goudarzi, Olivier Andréoletti, Jean-Luc Vilotte & Vincent Béringue
Abstract
To date, chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most infectious form of prion disease affecting several captive, free ranging and wild cervid species. Responsible for marked population declines in North America, its geographical spread is now becoming a major concern in Europe. Polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (PRNP) are an important factor influencing the susceptibility to prions and their rate of propagation. All reported cervid PRNP genotypes are affected by CWD. However, in each species, some polymorphisms are associated with lower attack rates and slower progression of the disease. This has potential consequences in terms of genetic selection, CWD diffusion and strain evolution. CWD also presents a zoonotic risk due to prions capacity to cross species barriers. This review summarizes our current understanding of CWD control, focusing on PRNP genetic, strain diversity and capacity to infect other animal species, including humans.
snip…
It seems so far that all deer, irrespective of their PRNPgenotype, are susceptible to CWD, but natural selection of the less susceptible alleles has been identified. The positive impact of these animals if infected is still a matter of debate since CWD does not compromise reproduction, at least in WTD [28, 139]. CWD positive animals with extended time before they succumb to disease likely represent a source of chronic prion shedding within populations and may contribute to environmental contamination. Many genetic approaches where PRNP sequences, genetic relationship, population structure and bottleneck history are used to understand this wildlife disease, but they need to be included into more complex processes. Interactions between hosts, strains and their environment have to be considered. Various CWD strainsi have already been identified but remain incompletely characterized. CWD can be transmitted horizontally and potentially vertically.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13567-021-00993-z
“It seems so far that all deer, irrespective of their PRNPgenotype, are susceptible to CWD, but natural selection of the less susceptible alleles has been identified.”
“CWD positive animals with extended time before they succumb to disease likely represent a source of chronic prion shedding within populations and may contribute to environmental contamination.”
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13567-021-00993-z
Volume 30, Number 10—October 2024
Research
Temporal Characterization of Prion Shedding in Secreta of White-Tailed Deer in Longitudinal Study of Chronic Wasting Disease, United States
Our findings suggest that deer expressing alternative PRNP polymorphisms might live longer and, although they shed fewer prions throughout CWD course, might over their extended lifespan increase CWD prions in the environment
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/30/10/24-0159_article
Prion protein gene sequence and chronic wasting disease susceptibility in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Adam L Brandt, Amy C Kelly, Michelle L Green, Paul Shelton, Jan Novakofski & Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
Pages 449-462 | Received 21 Sep 2015, Accepted 23 Oct 2015, Published online: 21 Dec 2015 https://doi.org/10.1080/19336896.2015.1115179
The presence of aa96S has been associated with slowed disease progression, longer life span among captive deer,Citation26,27 and does not appear to affect the rate at which prions are shed from infected individuals.Citation38 Additionally, CWD infected mule deer have been found to excrete pathogenic prions while asymptomatic.Citation39 This contributes to concerns that wild deer with aa96S may be shedding infectious prions into the environment for longer periods of time than deer lacking the mutation, but are not symptomatic or detectable by immunohistochemical procedures.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2015.1115179#d1e354
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4964855/pdf/kprn-09-06-1115179.pdf
“If slower disease progression results in longer-lived, infected deer with longer periods of infectiousness, resistance may lead to increased disease transmission rates, higher prion concentrations in the environment, and increased prevalence, as has been observed in some captive deer herds (Miller et al., 2006; Keane et al., 2008a).”
Genetic susceptibility to chronic wasting disease in free-ranging white-tailed deer: Complement component C1q and Prnp polymorphisms§
Julie A. Blanchong a, *, Dennis M. Heisey b , Kim T. Scribner c , Scot V. Libants d , Chad Johnson e , Judd M. Aiken e , Julia A. Langenberg f , Michael D. Samuel g
snip...
Identifying the genetic basis for heterogeneity in disease susceptibility or progression can improve our understanding of individual variation in disease susceptibility in both free-ranging and captive populations. What this individual variation in disease susceptibility means for the trajectory of disease in a population, however, is not straightforward. For example, the greater, but not complete, resistance to CWD in deer with at least one Serine (S) at amino acid 96 of the Prnp gene appears to be associated with slower progression of disease (e.g., Johnson et al., 2006; Keane et al., 2008a). If slower disease progression results in longer-lived, infected deer with longer periods of infectiousness, resistance may lead to increased disease transmission rates, higher prion concentrations in the environment, and increased prevalence, as has been observed in some captive deer herds (Miller et al., 2006; Keane et al., 2008a). Alternatively, if the slower progression of disease in resistant deer is not associated with longer periods of infectiousness, but might instead indicate a higher dose of PrPCWD is required for infection, transmission rates in the population could decline especially if, as in Wisconsin, deer suffer high rates of mortality from other sources (e.g., hunting). Clearly, determining the relationship between genetic susceptibility to infection, dose requirements, disease progression, and the period of PrPCWD infectiousness are key components for understanding the consequences of CWD to free-ranging populations.
http://web.archive.org/web/20121114223603/http://forest.wisc.edu/files/pdfs/samuel/2009%20blanchong%20et%20al%20genetic%20susceptibility%20chronic%20wasting.pdf
https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/630cd976-0c33-4b0a-bc97-96e2669107d5/content
''There are no known familial or genetic TSEs of animals, although polymorphisms in the PRNP gene of some species (sheep for example) may influence the length of the incubation period and occurrence of disease.''
c) The commonest form of CJD occurs as a sporadic disease, the cause of which is unknown, although genetic factors (particularly the codon 129 polymorphism in the prion protein gene (PRNP)) influence disease susceptibility. The familial forms of human TSEs (see Box 1) appear to have a solely genetic origin and are closely associated with mutations or insertions in the PRNP gene. Most, but not all, of the familial forms of human TSEs have been transmitted experimentally to animals. There are no known familial or genetic TSEs of animals, although polymorphisms in the PRNP gene of some species (sheep for example) may influence the length of the incubation period and occurrence of disease.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209755/Part_1_-_Introduction.pdf
***> Human CWD TSE PrP, what if?
the problem is, to date, there is NO diagnostic criteria set in stone that would confirm a case of human Cwd, like there was with nvCJD (my Mom died from confirmed hvCJD a rare strain of the infamous sporadic CJDs with new strains mounting, sporadic CJD simply means ‘unknown’, IT DOES NOT MEAN 85%+ SPORADIC CJD IS ALL SPONTANEOUS, that’s all iatrogenic CJD is sporadic CJD, until the iatrogenic event is detected, confirmed, traced back, confirmed, put I to the academic domain, and finally, if your lucky, finally published to the media, and finally the public domain.) sorry, I got off course…but let me perfectly clear here, all science to date shows, Human CWD will not look like New Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease nvCJD. CWD to humans will look like some variant of sporadic Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease. And here me out very clearly, and this is from the to TSE Prion Gods themselves, old correspondence from way back during my investigations early BSE nvCJD days…2002
“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.”
*** now, let’s see what the authors said about this casual link, personal communications years ago, and then the latest on the zoonotic potential from CWD to humans from the TOKYO PRION 2016 CONFERENCE.
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”
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
Subject: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS
Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:26 PM .......snip........end..............TSS
-----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, however there have been no unusual or novel prion subtypes that might indicate the appearance of a new prion strain [7, 41].
snip... full text ;
https://www.vetres.org/articles/vetres/abs/2008/04/v08092/v08092.html
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2008/04/prion-disease-of-cervids-chronic.html
“regular venison eating associated with a 9 FOLD INCREASE IN RISK OF CJD”
Subject: Re: DEER SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY SURVEY & HOUND STUDY
Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 23:12:22 +0100
From: Steve Dealler Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Organization: Netscape Online member
To: BSE-L@ …
######## Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy <BSE-L@UNI-KARLSRUHE.DE> #########
Dear Terry,
An excellent piece of review as this literature is desparately difficult to get back from Government sites. What happened with the deer was that an association between deer meat eating and sporadic CJD was found in about 1993. The evidence was not great but did not disappear after several years of asking CJD cases what they had eaten. I think that the work into deer disease largely stopped because it was not helpful to the UK industry...and no specific cases were reported.
Well, if you dont look adequately like they are in USA currenly then you wont find any!
Steve Dealler
########### http://mailhost.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/warc/bse-l.html ############
Subject: DEER SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY SURVEY & HOUND STUDY
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <flounder@WT.NET>
Reply To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy <BSE-L@UNI-KARLSRUHE.DE>
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 17:04:51 -0700
snip...
''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).''
CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIRD ANNUAL REPORT AUGUST 1994
snip...see full report ;
http://web.archive.org/web/20090506050043/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/08/00004001.pdf
http://web.archive.org/web/20090506050007/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/10/00003001.pdf
http://web.archive.org/web/20090506050244/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/07/00001001.pdf
Stephen Dealler is a consultant medical microbiologist deal@airtime.co.uk BSE Inquiry Steve Dealler Management In Confidence BSE: Private Submission of Bovine Brain Dealler
snip...end
########### http://mailhost.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/warc/bse-l.html ############
*** 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).***
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/pri.28124?src=recsys
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.4161/pri.28124?needAccess=true
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/20/1/13-0858_article
So, this is what we leave our children and grandchildren?
CDC CWD TSE Prion Update 2025
KEY POINTS
Chronic wasting disease affects deer, elk and similar animals in the United States and a few other countries.
The disease hasn't been shown to infect people.
However, it might be a risk to people if they have contact with or eat meat from animals infected with CWD.
https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-wasting/about/index.html
Prions in Muscles of Cervids with Chronic Wasting Disease, Norway
Volume 31, Number 2—February 2025
Research
Prions in Muscles of Cervids with Chronic Wasting Disease, Norway
Snip…
In summary, the results of our study indicate that prions are widely distributed in peripheral and edible tissues of cervids in Norway, including muscles. This finding highlights the risk of human exposure to small amounts of prions through handling and consuming infected cervids.
Appendix
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/2/24-0903-app1.pdf
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/2/24-0903_article
Volume 31, Number 2—February 2025
Dispatch
Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Raw, Processed, and Cooked Elk Meat, Texas, USA
Snip…
Of note, our data show that exposure to high temperatures used to cook the meat increased the availability of prions for in vitro amplification. Considering the potential implications in food safety and public health, we believe that the findings described in this study warrant further research. Our results suggest that although the elk meat used in this study resisted different manipulations involved in subsequent consumption by humans, their zoonotic potential was limited. Nevertheless, even though no cases of CWD transmission to human have been reported, the potential for human infection is still unclear and continued monitoring for zoonotic potential is warranted.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/2/24-0906_article
Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in processed meats
Results: Our results show positive prion detection in all the samples analyzed using deer and elk substrates. Surprisingly, cooked meats displayed increased seeding activities. This data suggests that CWD-prions are available to people even after meats are processed and cooked.
Conclusions: These results suggest CWD prions are accessible to humans through meats, even after processing and cooking. Considering the fact that these samples were collected from already processed specimens, the availability of CWD prions to humans is probably underestimated.
"Our results show positive prion detection in all the samples analyzed using deer and elk substrates. Surprisingly, cooked meats displayed increased seeding activities."
Meeting-book-final-version prion 2023 Prion 2023 Congress Organizing Committee and the NeuroPrion Association, we invite you to join us for the International Conference Prion2023 from 16-20 October 2023 in Faro, Portugal.
https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20250828201533/https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed-Zahid-Shah/publication/378314391_Meeting-book-final-version_prion_2023/links/65d44dad28b7720cecdca95f/Meeting-book-final-version-prion-2023.pdf
DETECTION OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE PRIONS IN PROCESSED MEATS.
In this study, we analyzed different processed meats derived from a pre-clinical, CWD-positive free-ranging elk. Products tested included filets, sausages, boneless steaks, burgers, ham steaks, seasoned chili meats, and spiced meats. CWD-prion presence in these products were assessed by PMCA using deer and elk substrates. Our results show positive prion detection in all products. To confirm the resilience of CWD-prions to traditional cooking methods, we grilled and boiled the meat products and evaluated them for any remnant PMCA seeding activity. Results confirmed the presence of CWD-prions in these meat products suggesting that infectious particles may still be available to people even after cooking. Our results strongly suggest ongoing human exposure to CWD-prions and raise significant concerns of zoonotic transmission through ingestion of CWD contaminated meat products.
Products tested included filets, sausages, boneless steaks, burgers, ham steaks, seasoned chili meats, and spiced meats.
CWD-prion presence in these products were assessed by PMCA using deer and elk substrates.
Our results show positive prion detection in all products.
Results confirmed the presence of CWD-prions in these meat products suggesting that infectious particles may still be available to people even after cooking.
Our results strongly suggest ongoing human exposure to CWD-prions and raise significant concerns of zoonotic transmission through ingestion of CWD contaminated meat products.
https://intcwdsympo.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/final-agenda-with-abstracts.pdf?force_download=true
Transmission of prion infectivity from CWD-infected macaque tissues to rodent models demonstrates the zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease.
Further passage to cervidized mice revealed transmission with a 100% attack rate.
Our findings demonstrate that macaques, considered the best model for the zoonotic potential of prions, were infected upon CWD challenge, including the oral one.
The disease manifested as atypical in macaques and initial transgenic mouse transmissions, but with infectivity present at all times, as unveiled in the bank vole model with an unusual tissue tropism.
Epidemiologic surveillance of prion disease among cervid hunters and people likely to have consumed venison contaminated with chronic wasting disease
=====
https://intcwdsympo.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/final-agenda-with-abstracts.pdf?force_download=true
Fortuitous generation of a zoonotic cervid prion strain
Aims: Whether CWD prions can infect humans remains unclear despite the very substantial scale and long history of human exposure of CWD in many states or provinces of USA and Canada. Multiple in vitro conversion experiments and in vivo animal studies indicate that the CWD-to-human transmission barrier is not unbreakable. A major long-term public health concern on CWD zoonosis is the emergence of highly zoonotic CWD strains. We aim to address the question of whether highly zoonotic CWD strains are possible.
Materials and Methods: We inoculated several sCJD brain samples into cervidized transgenic mice (Tg12), which were intended as negative controls for bioassays of brain tissues from sCJD cases who had potentially been exposed to CWD. Some of the Tg12mice became infected and their brain tissues were further examined by Western blot as well as serial passages in humanized or cervidized mice.
Results: Passage of sCJDMM1 in transgenic mice expressing elk PrP (Tg12) resulted in a “cervidized” CJD strain that we termed CJDElkPrP. We observed 100% transmission of the original CJDElkPrP in transgenic mice expressing human PrP. We passaged CJDElkPrP two more times in the Tg12mice. We found that such second and third passage CJDElkPrP prions retained 100% transmission rate in the humanized mice, despite that the natural elk CWD isolates and CJDElkPrP share the same elk PrP sequence. In contrast, we and others found zero or poor transmission of natural elk CWD isolates in humanized mice.
Conclusions: Our data indicate that highly zoonotic cervid prion strains are not only possible but also can retain zoonotic potential after serial passages in cervids, suggesting a very significant and serious long-term risk of CWD zoonosis given that the broad and continuing spread of CWD prions will provide fertile grounds for the emergence of zoonotic CWD strains over time.
https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20250828201533/https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed-Zahid-Shah/publication/378314391_Meeting-book-final-version_prion_2023/links/65d44dad28b7720cecdca95f/Meeting-book-final-version-prion-2023.pdf
Transmission of cervid prions to humanized mice demonstrates the zoonotic potential of CWD
Samia Hannaoui1 · Irina Zemlyankina1 · Sheng Chun Chang1 · Maria Immaculata Arifn1 · Vincent Béringue2 · Debbie McKenzie3 · Hermann M. Schatzl1 · Sabine Gilch1
Received: 24 May 2022 / Revised: 5 August 2022 / Accepted: 7 August 2022
© The Author(s) 2022
Abstract
Prions cause infectious and fatal neurodegenerative diseases in mammals. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease of cervids, spreads efficiently among wild and farmed animals. Potential transmission to humans of CWD is a growing concern due to its increasing prevalence. Here, we provide evidence for a zoonotic potential of CWD prions, and its probable signature using mice expressing human prion protein (PrP) as an infection model. Inoculation of these mice with deer CWD isolates resulted in atypical clinical manifestation with prion seeding activity and efficient transmissible infectivity in the brain and, remarkably, in feces, but without classical neuropathological or Western blot appearances of prion diseases. Intriguingly, the protease-resistant PrP in the brain resembled that found in a familial human prion disease and was transmissible upon second passage. Our results suggest that CWD might infect humans, although the transmission barrier is likely higher compared to zoonotic transmission of cattle prions. Notably, our data suggest a different clinical presentation, prion signature, and tissue tropism, which causes challenges for detection by current diagnostic assays. Furthermore, the presence of infectious prions in feces is concerning because if this occurs in humans, it is a source for human-to-human transmission. These findings have strong implications for public health and CWD management.
Keywords Chronic wasting disease · CWD · Zoonotic potential · Prion strains · Zoonotic prions
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS STUDY
================================
Our results suggest that CWD might infect humans, although the transmission barrier is likely higher compared to zoonotic transmission of cattle prions. Notably, our data suggest a different clinical presentation, prion signature, and tissue tropism, which causes challenges for detection by current diagnostic assays. Furthermore, the presence of infectious prions in feces is concerning because if this occurs in humans, it is a source for human-to-human transmission. These findings have strong implications for public health and CWD management.
In this study, we evaluated the zoonotic potential of CWD using a transgenic mouse model overexpressing human M129-PrPC (tg650 [12]). We inoculated tg650mice intracerebrally with two deer CWD isolates, Wisc-1 and 116AG [22, 23, 27, 29]. We demonstrate that this transgenic line was susceptible to infection with CWD prions and displayed a distinct leading clinical sign, an atypical PrPSc signature and unusual fecal shedding of infectious prions. Importantly, these prions generated by the human PrP transgenic mice were transmissible upon passage. Our results are the first evidence of a zoonotic risk of CWD when using one of the most common CWD strains, Wisc-1/CWD1 for infection. We demonstrated in a human transgenic mouse model that the species barrier for transmission of CWD to humans is not absolute. The fact that its signature was not typical raises the questions whether CWD would manifest in humans as a subclinical infection, whether it would arise through direct or indirect transmission including an intermediate host, or a silent to uncovered human-to-human transmission, and whether current detection techniques will be suffcient to unveil its presence.
Our findings strongly suggest that CWD should be regarded as an actual public health risk. Here, we use humanized mice to show that CWD prions can cross the species barrier to humans, and remarkably, infectious prions can be excreted in feces.
Our results indicate that if CWD crosses the species-barrier to humans, it is unlikely to resemble the most common forms of human prion diseases with respect to clinical signs, tissue tropism and PrPSc signature. For instance, PrPSc in variable protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr), a sporadic form of human prion disease, and in the genetic form Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) is defined by an atypical PK-resistant PrPSc fragment that is non-glycosylated and truncated at both C- and N-termini, with a molecular weight between 6 and 8 kDa [24, 44–46]. These biochemical features are unique and distinctive from PrPSc (PrP27-30) found in most other human or animal prion disease. The atypical PrPSc signature detected in brain homogenate of tg650 mice #321 (1st passage) and #3063 (2nd passage), and the 7–8 kDa fragment (Figs. 2, 4) are very similar to that of GSS, both in terms of migration profile and the N-terminal cleavage site.
CWD in humans might remain subclinical but with PrPSc deposits in the brain with an unusual morphology that does not resemble the patterns usually seen in different prion diseases (e.g., mouse #328; Fig. 3), clinical with untraceable abnormal PrP (e.g., mouse #327) but still transmissible and uncovered upon subsequent passage (e.g., mouse #3063; Fig. 4), or prions have other reservoirs than the usual ones, hence the presence of infectivity in feces (e.g., mouse #327) suggesting a potential for human-to-human transmission and a real iatrogenic risk that might be unrecognizable.
“suggesting a potential for human-to-human transmission and a real iatrogenic risk that might be unrecognizable.”
=================================
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-022-02482-9
snip...see full text;
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00401-022-02482-9
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00401-022-02482-9.pdf
Macaque tissues to rodent models demonstrates the zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease.
Samia Hannaoui1,2, Ginny Cheng1,2, Wiebke Wemheuer3, Walter Schulz-Schaeffer3, Sabine Gilch1,2, Hermann Schatzl1,2 1University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. 2Calgary Prion Research Unit, Calgary, Canada. 3Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany
Snip…
***> Further passage to cervidized mice revealed transmission with a 100% attack rate.
***> Our findings demonstrate that macaques, considered the best model for the zoonotic potential of prions, were infected upon CWD challenge, including the oral one.
****> The disease manifested as atypical in macaques and initial transgenic mouse transmissions, but with infectivity present at all times, as unveiled in the bank vole model with an unusual tissue tropism.
***> Epidemiologic surveillance of prion disease among cervid hunters and people likely to have consumed venison contaminated with chronic wasting disease
=====
https://intcwdsympo.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/final-agenda-with-abstracts.pdf?force_download=true
Transmission of Cervid Prions to Humanized Mice Demonstrates the Zoonotic Potential of CWD
Samia Hannaouia, Irina Zemlyankinaa, Sheng Chun Changa, Maria Immaculata Arifina, Vincent Béringueb, Debbie McKenziec, Hermann M. Schatzla, and Sabine Gilcha
Results: Here, we provide the strongest evidence supporting the zoonotic potential of CWD prions, and their possible phenotype in humans. Inoculation of mice expressing human PrPCwith deer CWD isolates (strains Wisc-1 and 116AG) resulted in atypical clinical manifestations in > 75% of the mice, with myoclonus as leading clinical sign. Most of tg650brain homogenates were positive for seeding activity in RT-QuIC. Clinical disease and presentation was transmissible to tg650mice and bank voles. Intriguingly, protease-resistant PrP in the brain of tg650 mice resembled that found in a familial human prion disease and was transmissible upon passage. Abnormal PrP aggregates upon infection with Wisc-1 were detectable in thalamus, hypothalamus, and midbrain/pons regions.
Unprecedented in human prion disease, feces of CWD-inoculated tg650 mice harbored prion seeding activity and infectious prions, as shown by inoculation of bank voles and tg650 with fecal homogenates.
Conclusions: This is the first evidence that CWD can infect humans and cause disease with a distinctive clinical presentation, signature, and tropism, which might be transmissible between humans while current diagnostic assays might fail to detect it. These findings have major implications for public health and CWD-management.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2022.2091286
18. Zoonotic potential of moose-derived chronic wasting disease prions after adaptation in intermediate species
Tomás Barrioa, Jean-Yves Doueta, Alvina Huora, Séverine Lugana, Naïma Arona, Hervé Cassarda, Sylvie L. Benestadb, Juan Carlos Espinosac, Juan María Torresc, Olivier Andréolettia
aUnité Mixte de Recherche de l’Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement 1225 Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 31076 Toulouse, France; bNorwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 64, NO-1431 Ås, Norway; cCentro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
Aims: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging prion disease in Europe. To date, cases have been reported in three Nordic countries and in several species, including reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), moose (Alces alces) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). Cumulating data suggest that the prion strains responsible for the European cases are distinct from those circulating in North America. The biological properties of CWD prions are still poorly documented, in particular their spillover and zoonotic capacities. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the interspecies transmission potential of Norwegian moose CWD isolates.
Materials and Methods: For that purpose, we performed experimental transmissions in a panel of transgenic models expressing the PrPC sequence of various species.
Results: On first passage, one moose isolate propagated in the ovine PrPC-expressing model (Tg338). After adaptation in this host, moose CWD prions were able to transmit in mice expressing either bovine or human PrPC with high efficacy.
Conclusions: These results suggest that CWD prions can acquire enhanced zoonotic properties following adaptation in an intermediate species.
Funding
Grant number: AAPG2020 EU-CWD, ICRAD2020 TCWDE, NRC2022 NorCWD
Acknowledgement
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2024.2424058
“ After adaptation in this host, moose CWD prions were able to transmit in mice expressing either bovine or human PrPC with high efficacy.”
Friday, February 21, 2025
CWD, BAITING, AND MINERAL LICKS, WHAT IF?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/02/cwd-baiting-and-mineral-licks-what-if.html
Friday, February 21, 2025
Deer don’t die from CWD, it’s the insurance companies, or it's a Government conspiracy?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/02/deer-dont-die-from-cwd-its-insurance.html
Friday, February 21, 2025
LEGISLATING CWD TSE Prion, Bills to release Genetically Modified Cervid into the wild, what could go wrong?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/02/legislating-cwd-tse-prion-bills-to.html
Friday, February 21, 2025
Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America February 2025
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/02/distribution-of-chronic-wasting-disease.html
SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2026
Texas Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Deaths and Death Rates per Year (2013-2022) More Than Tripled, and case reporting has ceased since then
https://cjdtexas.blogspot.com/2026/03/texas-creutzfeldt-jakob-disease-deaths.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/209/texas-cases-more-triples-2013
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2025
US NATIONAL PRION DISEASE PATHOLOGY SURVEILLANCE CENTER CJD TSE REPORT 2025
https://prionunitusaupdate.blogspot.com/2025/10/us-national-prion-disease-pathology.html
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2025
While no one was watching: Tenuous status of CDC prion unit, risk of CWD to people worry scientists
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/11/while-no-one-was-watching-tenuous.html
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2025
While no one was watching: Tenuous status of CDC prion unit, risk of CWD to people worry scientists
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/11/while-no-one-was-watching-tenuous.html
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2026
Neuropsychiatric symptoms in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a review
https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2026/01/neuropsychiatric-symptoms-in-sporadic.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/191/neuropsychiatric-symptoms-sporadic-cjd-review
SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2025
Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease TSE Prion Increasing 2025 Update
https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2025/03/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease-tse-prion.html
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2024
Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease CJD, BSE, CWD, TSE Prion, December 14, 2024 Annual Update
https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2024/12/creutzfeldt-jacob-disease-cjd-bse-cwd.html
Terry S. Singeltary Sr. Bacliff, Texas 77518 flounder9@verizon.net
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
12:33 PM
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