Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE: September 2021

DEFRA FSA Single case of classical BSE confirmed on a farm in Somerset

Single case of classical BSE confirmed on a farm in Somerset

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is investigating the source of the incident.

From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Animal and Plant Health Agency, and Food Standards Agency Published 17 September 2021

A single case of classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Somerset, the Animal and Plant Health Agency confirmed today (Friday 17 September).

The animal is deceased and has been removed from the farm. There is no risk to food safety.

In line with the government’s disease prevention response plan, precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place to stop the movement of livestock in the area while further investigations continue to identify the origin of the disease.

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:

A single case of classical BSE has been confirmed on a farm in Somerset. The animal died on farm and was tested as part of our TSE surveillance controls.

Movement restrictions have been put in place on the farm. This is standard procedure until we have a clear understanding of the origin of the disease. This is further proof that our surveillance system for detecting and containing this type of disease is working.

We recognise this will be a traumatic time for the farmer and we are on hand to offer advice through this difficult period.

The UK’s overall risk status for BSE remains at ‘controlled’ and there is no risk to food safety or public health.

A Food Standards Agency spokesperson said:

There are strict controls in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE, including controls on animal feed, and removal of the parts of cattle most likely to carry BSE infectivity.

Consumers can be reassured that these important protection measures remain in place and that Food Standards Agency Official Veterinarians and Meat Hygiene Inspectors working in all abattoirs in England will continue to ensure that the safety of consumers remains the top priority.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency will now begin a thorough investigation of the herd, the premises, potential sources of infection and will produce a full report on the incident in due course.

There have been five cases of confirmed BSE in the UK since 2014, all of these have been in animals which, as fallen stock, were not destined for the human food chain and posed no risk to the general public.

In line with international commitments, the World Organisation for Animal Health and trading partners have been informed of the case. This does not affect the UK’s ability to export beef to other countries.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/single-case-of-classical-bse-confirmed-on-a-farm-in-somerset

EU Feed ban Commission authorises use of certain animal proteins, risk another mad cow type outbreak

Feed ban: Commission authorises use of certain animal proteins

Today, 17 August 2021, the Commission adopted the decision to amend the feed ban regulation, allowing the use of certain animal proteins to feed non-ruminant farmed animals such as pigs and poultry.

The decision, based on the scientific opinion by the European Food and Safety Authority, follows approval from both the European Parliament and Council as well as the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed in April 2021.

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “I welcome today’s announcement, another small step in our journey towards more sustainable feed chain. This decision, which achieves another milestone in the Farm to Fork strategy’s ambition towards the use of quality and sustainable feed, continues the long legacy of the European Union’s work to uphold the highest standards in animal nutrition”.

The Commission’s proposal come in the wake of advances in scientific knowledge, which showed that certain specific feed ban measures implemented since 2001 were no longer justified. Today’s announcement will contribute to the further improvement and enhancement of the animal feed chain, promoting more sustainable agriculture under the Farm-to-Fork strategy.

The new measures allow broader use of high quality protein derived from pigs, poultry and insects in feed that is locally sourced and produced in the European Union and that will meet nutritional needs of some specific categories of pigs and poultry. In addition, the relaxation of the use of processed animal protein derived from pigs and poultry will contribute to sustainable and competitive European farming.

More information on the Feed Ban Regulation can be found here.

https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/animal-feed_en

https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/sante/items/718842/en

''The new measures allow broader use of high quality protein derived from pigs, poultry and insects in feed that is locally sourced and produced in the European Union...''

Absolutely insane imo. seems man just cannot learn from past mistakes, even with evidence showing you this is totally wrong and will risk further spread of the TSE Prion, greed just takes over all sound science.

we now know that cwd and scrapie, both tse prion disease, transmit to pigs by oral routes, so then we feed pigs back to other livestock animals. wonder where the new camel Prion disease outbreak came from?...terry

Research Project: Pathobiology, Genetics, and Detection of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Experimental transmission of the chronic wasting disease agent to swine after oral or intracranial inoculation

Author item MOORE, SARAH - Orise Fellow item WEST GREENLEE, M - Iowa State University item KONDRU, NAVEEN - Iowa State University item MANNE, SIREESHA - Iowa State University item Smith, Jodi item Kunkle, Robert item KANTHASAMY, ANUMANTHA - Iowa State University item Greenlee, Justin Submitted to: Journal of Virology Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 7/6/2017 Publication Date: 9/12/2017

Citation: Moore, S.J., West Greenlee, M.H., Kondru, N., Manne, S., Smith, J.D., Kunkle, R.A., Kanthasamy, A., Greenlee, J.J. 2017. Experimental transmission of the chronic wasting disease agent to swine after oral or intracranial inoculation. Journal of Virology. 91(19):e00926-17. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00926-17.

Interpretive Summary: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of wild and captive deer and elk that causes damaging changes in the brain. The infectious agent is an abnormal protein called a prion that has misfolded from its normal state. Whether CWD can transmit to swine is unknown. This study evaluated the potential of pigs to develop CWD after either intracranial or oral inoculation. Our data indicates that swine do accumulate the abnormal prion protein associated with CWD after intracranial or oral inoculation. Further, there was evidence of abnormal prion protein accumulation in lymph nodes. 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. This information is useful to wildlife managers and individuals in the swine and captive cervid industries. These findings could impact future regulations for the disposal of offal from deer and elk slaughtered in commercial operations. U.S. regulators should carefully consider the new information from this study before relaxing feed ban standards designed to control potentially feed borne prion diseases.

Technical Abstract: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a naturally occurring, fatal neurodegenerative disease of cervids. The potential for swine to serve as a host for the agent of chronic wasting disease is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of swine to the CWD agent following oral or intracranial experimental inoculation. Crossbred piglets were assigned to one of three groups: intracranially inoculated (n=20), orally inoculated (n=19), or non-inoculated (n=9). At approximately the age at which commercial pigs reach market weight, half of the pigs in each group were culled ('market weight' groups). The remaining pigs ('aged' groups) were allowed to incubate for up to 73 months post inoculation (MPI). Tissues collected at necropsy were examined for disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc) by western blotting (WB), antigen-capture immunoassay (EIA), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in vitro real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC). Brain samples from selected pigs were also bioassayed in mice expressing porcine prion protein. Four intracranially inoculated aged pigs and one orally inoculated aged pig were positive by EIA, IHC and/or WB. Using RT-QuIC, PrPSc was detected in lymphoid and/or brain tissue from pigs in all inoculated groups. Bioassay was positive in 4 out of 5 pigs assayed. This study demonstrates that pigs can serve as hosts for CWD, though with scant PrPSc accumulation requiring sensitive detection methods. Detection of infectivity in orally inoculated pigs using mouse bioassay raises the possibility that naturally exposed pigs could act as a reservoir of CWD infectivity.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=339093

12 September 2017

Experimental Transmission of the Chronic Wasting Disease Agent to Swine after Oral or Intracranial Inoculation

Authors: S. Jo Moore, M. Heather West Greenlee, Naveen Kondru, Sireesha Manne, Jodi D. Smith, Robert A. Kunkle, Anumantha Kanthasamy, and Justin J. Greenlee

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2202-3054

AUTHORS INFO & AFFILIATIONS

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00926-17

Volume 91, Number 19

1 October 2017

ABSTRACT

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a naturally occurring, fatal neurodegenerative disease of cervids. The potential for swine to serve as hosts for the agent of CWD is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of swine to the CWD agent following experimental oral or intracranial inoculation. Crossbred piglets were assigned to three groups, intracranially inoculated (n = 20), orally inoculated (n = 19), and noninoculated (n = 9). At approximately the age at which commercial pigs reach market weight, half of the pigs in each group were culled (“market weight” groups). The remaining pigs (“aged” groups) were allowed to incubate for up to 73 months postinoculation (mpi). Tissues collected at necropsy were examined for disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc) by Western blotting (WB), antigen capture enzyme immunoassay (EIA), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and in vitro real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC). Brain samples from selected pigs were also bioassayed in mice expressing porcine prion protein. Four intracranially inoculated aged pigs and one orally inoculated aged pig were positive by EIA, IHC, and/or WB. By RT-QuIC, PrPSc was detected in lymphoid and/or brain tissue from one or more pigs in each inoculated group. The bioassay was positive in four out of five pigs assayed. This study demonstrates that pigs can support low-level amplification of CWD prions, although the species barrier to CWD infection is relatively high. However, detection of infectivity in orally inoculated pigs with a mouse bioassay raises the possibility that naturally exposed pigs could act as a reservoir of CWD infectivity. IMPORTANCE We challenged domestic swine with the chronic wasting disease agent by inoculation directly into the brain (intracranially) or by oral gavage (orally). Disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc) was detected in brain and lymphoid tissues from intracranially and orally inoculated pigs as early as 8 months of age (6 months postinoculation). Only one pig developed clinical neurologic signs suggestive of prion disease. The amount of PrPSc in the brains and lymphoid tissues of positive pigs was small, especially in orally inoculated pigs. Regardless, positive results obtained with orally inoculated pigs suggest that it may be possible for swine to serve as a reservoir for prion disease under natural conditions.

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/JVI.00926-17

Research Project: TRANSMISSION, DIFFERENTIATION, AND PATHOBIOLOGY OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Disease-associated prion protein detected in lymphoid tissues from pigs challenged with the agent of chronic wasting disease

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

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=326166

Research Project: Pathobiology, Genetics, and Detection of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: The agent of chronic wasting disease from pigs is infectious in transgenic mice expressing human PRNP

Author item MOORE, S - Orise Fellow item Kokemuller, Robyn item WEST-GREENLEE, M - Iowa State University item BALKEMA-BUSCHMANN, ANNE - Friedrich-Loeffler-institut item GROSCHUP, MARTIN - Friedrich-Loeffler-institut item Greenlee, Justin Submitted to: Prion Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2018 Publication Date: 5/22/2018 Citation: Moore, S.J., Kokemuller, R.D., West-Greenlee, M.H., Balkema-Buschmann, A., Groschup, M.H., Greenlee, J.J. 2018. The agent of chronic wasting disease from pigs is infectious in transgenic mice expressing human PRNP. Prion 2018, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, May 22-25, 2018. Paper No. WA15, page 44.

Interpretive Summary:

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.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=353091

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

CONFIDENTIAL

EXPERIMENTAL PORCINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY

LINE TO TAKE

3. If questions on pharmaceuticals are raised at the Press conference, the suggested line to take is as follows:-

"There are no medicinal products licensed for use on the market which make use of UK-derived porcine tissues with which any hypothetical “high risk" ‘might be associated. The results of the recent experimental work at the CSM will be carefully examined by the CSM‘s Working Group on spongiform encephalopathy at its next meeting.

DO Hagger RM 1533 MT Ext 3201

http://web.archive.org/web/20030822054419/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/09/21009001.pdf

While this clearly is a cause for concern we should not jump to the conclusion that this means that pigs will necessarily be infected by bone and meat meal fed by the oral route as is the case with cattle. ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20031026000118/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/08/23004001.pdf

we cannot rule out the possibility that unrecognised subclinical spongiform encephalopathy could be present in British pigs though there is no evidence for this: only with parenteral/implantable pharmaceuticals/devices is the theoretical risk to humans of sufficient concern to consider any action.

http://web.archive.org/web/20030822031154/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/09/10007001.pdf

May I, at the outset, reiterate that we should avoid dissemination of papers relating to this experimental finding to prevent premature release of the information. ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20030822052332/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/09/11005001.pdf

3. It is particularly important that this information is not passed outside the Department, until Ministers have decided how they wish it to be handled. ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20030822052438/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/09/12002001.pdf

But it would be easier for us if pharmaceuticals/devices are not directly mentioned at all. ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20030518170213/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/09/13004001.pdf

Our records show that while some use is made of porcine materials in medicinal products, the only products which would appear to be in a hypothetically ''higher risk'' area are the adrenocorticotrophic hormone for which the source material comes from outside the United Kingdom, namely America China Sweden France and Germany. The products are manufactured by Ferring and Armour. A further product, ''Zenoderm Corium implant'' manufactured by Ethicon, makes use of porcine skin - which is not considered to be a ''high risk'' tissue, but one of its uses is described in the data sheet as ''in dural replacement''. This product is sourced from the United Kingdom.....

http://web.archive.org/web/20030822054419/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/09/21009001.pdf

America BSE 589.2001 FEED REGULATIONS, BSE SURVEILLANCE, BSE TESTING, and CJD TSE Prion

so far, we have been lucky. to date, with the science at hand, no cwd transmitted to cattle, that has been documented, TO DATE, WITH THE SCIENCE AT HAND, it's not to say it has not already happened, just like with zoonosis of cwd i.e. molecular transmission studies have shown that cwd transmission to humans would look like sporadic cjd, NOT nvCJD or what they call now vCJD. the other thing is virulence and or horizontal transmission. this is very concerning with the recent fact of what seems to be a large outbreak of a new tse prion disease in camels in Africa. there is much concern now with hay, straw, grains, and such, with the cwd tse prion endemic countries USA, Canada. what is of greatest concern is the different strains of cwd, and the virulence there from? this thing (cwd) keeps mutating to different strains, and to different species, the bigger the chance of one of these strains that WILL TRANSMIT TO CATTLE OR HUMANS, and that it is documented (i believe both has already occured imo with scienct to date). with that said, a few things to ponder, and i am still very concerned with, the animal feed. we now know from transmission studies that cwd and scrapie will transmit to pigs by oral routes. the atypical bse strains will transmit by oral routes. i don't mean to keep kicking a mad cow, just look at the science;

***> cattle, pigs, sheep, cwd, tse, prion, oh my!

***> In contrast, cattle are highly susceptible to white-tailed deer CWD and mule deer CWD in experimental conditions but no natural CWD infections in cattle have been reported (Sigurdson, 2008; Hamir et al., 2006).

Sheep and cattle may be exposed to CWD via common grazing areas with affected deer but so far, appear to be poorly susceptible to mule deer CWD (Sigurdson, 2008). In contrast, cattle are highly susceptible to white-tailed deer CWD and mule deer CWD in experimental conditions but no natural CWD infections in cattle have been reported (Sigurdson, 2008; Hamir et al., 2006). It is not known how susceptible humans are to CWD but given that the prion can be present in muscle, it is likely that humans have been exposed to the agent via consumption of venison (Sigurdson, 2008). Initial experimental research suggests that human susceptibility to CWD is low and there may be a robust species barrier for CWD transmission to humans (Sigurdson, 2008), however the risk appetite for a public health threat may still find this level unacceptable.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733407/DEFRA_QRA_TSE_in_cervids_June2018_v1.pdf

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/08/susceptibility-of-cattle-to-agent-of.html

3.2.1.2 Non‐cervid domestic species

The remarkably high rate of natural CWD transmission in the ongoing NA epidemics raises the question of the risk to livestock grazing on CWD‐contaminated shared rangeland and subsequently developing a novel CWD‐related prion disease. This issue has been investigated by transmitting CWD via experimental challenge to cattle, sheep and pigs and to tg mouse lines expressing the relevant species PrP.

For cattle challenged with CWD, PrPSc was detected in approximately 40% of intracerebrally inoculated animals (Hamir et al., 2005, 2006a, 2007). Tg mice expressing bovine PrP have also been challenged with CWD and while published studies have negative outcomes (Tamguney et al., 2009b), unpublished data provided for the purposes of this Opinion indicate that some transmission of individual isolates to bovinised mice is possible (Table 1).

In small ruminant recipients, a low rate of transmission was reported between 35 and 72 months post‐infection (mpi) in ARQ/ARQ and ARQ/VRQ sheep intracerebrally challenged with mule deer CWD (Hamir et al., 2006b), while two out of two ARQ/ARQ sheep intracerebrally inoculated with elk CWD developed clinical disease after 28 mpi (Madsen‐Bouterse et al., 2016). However, tg mice expressing ARQ sheep PrP were resistant (Tamguney et al., 2006) and tg mice expressing the VRQ PrP allele were poorly susceptible to clinical disease (Beringue et al., 2012; Madsen‐Bouterse et al., 2016). In contrast, tg mice expressing VRQ sheep PrP challenged with CWD have resulted in highly efficient, life‐long asymptomatic replication of these prions in the spleen tissue (Beringue et al., 2012).

A recent study investigated the potential for swine to serve as hosts of the CWD agent(s) by intracerebral or oral challenge of crossbred piglets (Moore et al., 2016b, 2017). Pigs sacrificed at 6 mpi, approximately the age at which pigs reach market weight, were clinically healthy and negative by diagnostic tests, although low‐level CWD agent replication could be detected in the CNS by bioassay in tg cervinised mice. Among pigs that were incubated for up to 73 mpi, some gave diagnostic evidence of CWD replication in the brain between 42 and 72 mpi. Importantly, this was observed also in one orally challenged pig at 64 mpi and the presence of low‐level CWD replication was confirmed by mouse bioassay. The authors of this study argued that pigs can support low‐level amplification of CWD prions, although the species barrier to CWD infection is relatively high and that the detection of infectivity in orally inoculated pigs with a mouse bioassay raises the possibility that naturally exposed pigs could act as a reservoir of CWD infectivity.

https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5863

Atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE OIE, FDA 589.2001 FEED REGULATIONS, and Ingestion Therefrom

The myth that all atypical BSE TSE Prion disease are sporadic/spontaneous and are not caused by the ingestion of TSE Prion contaminated feed, is just that, a myth, one never proven, and in fact, is not scientific...terry

REPORT OF THE MEETING OF THE OIE AD HOC GROUP ON BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY RISK ASSESSMENT AND SURVEILLANCE

Paris, 18-21 March 2019

snip...

3. Atypical BSE

The Group discussed and endorsed with minor revisions an overview of relevant literature on the risk of atypical BSE being recycled in a cattle population and its zoonotic potential that had been prepared ahead of the meeting by one expert from the Group. This overview is provided as Appendix IV and its main conclusions are outlined below.

With regard to the risk of recycling of atypical BSE, recently published research confirmed that the L-type BSE prion (a type of atypical BSE prion) may be orally transmitted to calves1 . In light of this evidence, and the likelihood that atypical BSE could arise as a spontaneous disease in any country, albeit at a very low incidence, the Group was of the opinion that it would be reasonable to conclude that atypical BSE is potentially capable of being recycled in a cattle population if cattle were to be exposed to contaminated feed. Therefore, the recycling of atypical strains in cattle and broader ruminant populations should be avoided.

The Group acknowledged the challenges in demonstrating the zoonotic transmission of atypical strains of BSE in natural exposure scenarios. Overall, the Group was of the opinion that, at this stage, it would be premature to reach a conclusion other than that atypical BSE poses a potential zoonotic risk that may be different between atypical strains.

snip...

In contrast, there have not been any substantiated reports of the successful oral transmission of H-BSE in cattle. Initial reports from Dudas et al., 2014 based on RT-QuIC pointed to the possibility of oral transmission following a very high dose (100 grams of brain material), although the individual did not display clinical signs and the findings from standard molecular or immunohistochemical assays were all negative. Investigations are ongoing in an attempt to clarify these findings.

Although significant uncertainty remains regarding the origin of C-BSE, several studies involving the serial passage of H-BSE and L-BSE in transgenic and wild-type mice have revealed their potential to lead to the emergence of a C-BSE-like phenotype (Baron et al., 2011; Torres et al., 2011; Bencsik et al., 2013) or other novel strains (Masujin et al., 2016). Whether or not one or both of these atypical strains led to the emergence of C-BSE remains speculative; however, the similarities between transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME), first reported in the USA in 1947 (Hartsough and Burger, 1965), and L-BSE indicate that TME may have been a surrogate indicator for the presence of L-BSE in cattle populations in those countries such as the USA, Canada, Germany, Finland and Russia where outbreaks of TME had been reported decades before C-BSE was first recognised in the United Kingdom in 1986 (Hadlow and Karstad, 1968; Marsh et al., 1991; McKenzie et al., 1996; Baron et al., 2007; Comoy et al., 2013). Although TME was originally thought to have occurred as a result of feeding mink with scrapie infected sheep carcases, oral challenge studies did not confirm this (Marsh et al., 1991). Importantly, in an outbreak reported in the USA in 1985, mink had never been fed sheep products; instead they had been fed on products derived from dead and sick dairy cattle (March et al., 1991). Similarly, from an outbreak in Canada in 1963, mink had reportedly been fed with products derived from cattle but not sheep (Hadlow and Karstad, 1968).

Although, as discussed above, the passage of H-BSE or L-BSE has been proposed as a possible explanation for the origin of C-BSE, transformation of L-BSE or H-BSE to C-BSE has not been observed so far in transmission studies in cattle. That being said, it is likely that, compared to various rodent models, an insufficient number of passages have been undertaken.

It is worth noting that sheep and goats are susceptible to L-BSE following intracerebral inoculation without lymphoid involvement in most individuals (Simmons et al., 2016; Gielbert et al., 2018; Vallino-Costassa et al., 2018). As discussed by Houston and Andreoletti (2018), C-BSE appears to increase in virulence for humans if it is first passaged in sheep. Whether or not this is the same for atypical strains remains to be determined.

Conclusions on transmissibility of atypical BSE among cattle

Given that cattle have been successfully infected by the oral route, at least for L-BSE, it is reasonable to conclude that atypical BSE is potentially capable of being recycled in a cattle population if cattle are exposed to contaminated feed. In addition, based on reports of atypical BSE from several countries that have not had C-BSE, it appears likely that atypical BSE would arise as a spontaneous disease in any country, albeit at a very low incidence in old cattle. In the presence of livestock industry practices that would allow it to be recycled in the cattle feed chain, it is likely that some level of exposure and transmission may occur. As a result, since atypical BSE can be reasonably considered to pose a potential background level of risk for any country with cattle, the recycling of both classical and atypical strains in the cattle and broader ruminant populations should be avoided.

https://www.oie.int/fileadmin/SST/adhocreports/Bovine%20spongiform%20encephalopathy/AN/A_AhG_BSEsurv_RiskAss_Mar2019.pdf

***> Consumption of L-BSE–contaminated feed may pose a risk for oral transmission of the disease agent to cattle.

***> As a result, since atypical BSE can be reasonably considered to pose a potential background level of risk for any country with cattle, the recycling of both classical and atypical strains in the cattle and broader ruminant populations should be avoided.

***> This study demonstrates that the H-type BSE agent is transmissible by the oronasal route.

***> These results reinforce the need for ongoing surveillance for classical and atypical BSE to minimize the risk of potentially infectious tissues entering the animal or human food chains.

Atypical L-type BSE

Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Feb; 23(2): 284–287. doi: 10.3201/eid2302.161416 PMCID: PMC5324790 PMID: 28098532

Oral Transmission of L-Type Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Agent among Cattle

Hiroyuki Okada,corresponding author Yoshifumi Iwamaru, Morikazu Imamura, Kohtaro Miyazawa, Yuichi Matsuura, Kentaro Masujin, Yuichi Murayama, and Takashi Yokoyama Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Go to: Abstract To determine oral transmissibility of the L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prion, we orally inoculated 16 calves with brain homogenates of the agent. Only 1 animal, given a high dose, showed signs and died at 88 months. These results suggest low risk for oral transmission of the L-BSE agent among cattle.

Keywords: atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy, cattle, L-type, prion, oral transmission, L-BSE, prions and related diseases, zoonoses The epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle is thought to be caused by oral infection through consumption of feed containing the BSE agent (prion). Since 2003, different neuropathologic and molecular phenotypes of BSE have been identified as causing ≈110 cases of atypical BSE worldwide, mainly in aged cattle. Although the etiology and pathogenesis of atypical BSE are not yet fully understood, atypical BSE prions possibly cause sporadic cases of BSE (1).

The L-type BSE (L-BSE) prion has been experimentally transmitted to cattle by intracerebral challenge, and the incubation period was is shorter than that for classical BSE (C-BSE) prions (2–6). The origin of transmissible mink encephalopathy in ranch-raised mink is thought to be caused by ingestion of L-BSE–infected material (7). Although L-BSE has been orally transmitted to mouse lemurs (8), it remains to be established whether L-BSE can be transmitted to cattle by oral infection. We therefore investigated the transmissibility of L-BSE by the oral route and tissue distribution of disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc) in cattle. All experiments involving animals were performed with the approval of the Animal Ethical Committee and the Animal Care and Use Committee of the National Institute of Animal Health (approval nos. 07–88 and 08–010).

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The neuroanatomical PrPSc distribution pattern of orally challenged cattle differed somewhat from that described in cattle naturally and intracerebrally challenged with L-BSE (2–6,11,13,14), The conspicuous differences between the case we report and cases of natural and experimental infection are 1) higher amounts of PrPSc in the caudal medulla oblongata and the spinal cord coupled with that in the thalamus and the more rostral brainstem and 2) relatively low amounts of PrPSc in the cerebral cortices and the olfactory bulb. Furthermore, fewer PrPSc deposits in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve may indicate that the parasympathetic retrogressive neuroinvasion pathway does not contribute to transport of the L-BSE prion from the gut to the brain, which is in contrast to the vagus-associated transport of the agent in C-BSE (15). PrPSc accumulation in the extracerebral tissues may be a result of centrifugal trafficking of the L-BSE prion from the central nervous system along somatic or autonomic nerve fibers rather than centripetal propagation of the agent (4,6,9). Consumption of L-BSE–contaminated feed may pose a risk for oral transmission of the disease agent to cattle.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5324790/

Our study clearly confirms, experimentally, the potential risk for interspecies oral transmission of the agent of L-BSE. In our model, this risk appears higher than that for the agent of classical BSE, which could only be transmitted to mouse lemurs after a first passage in macaques (14). We report oral transmission of the L-BSE agent in young and adult primates. Transmission by the IC route has also been reported in young macaques (6,7). A previous study of L-BSE in transgenic mice expressing human PrP suggested an absence of any transmission barrier between cattle and humans for this particular strain of the agent of BSE, in contrast to findings for the agent of classical BSE (9). Thus, it is imperative to maintain measures that prevent the entry of tissues from cattle possibly infected with the agent of L-BSE into the food chain.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3310119/

Atypical H-type BSE

Research Project: Pathobiology, Genetics, and Detection of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: The agent of H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism transmits after oronasal challenge

Author item Greenlee, Justin item MOORE, S - Orise Fellow item WEST-GREENLEE, M - Iowa State University

Submitted to: Prion

Publication Type: Abstract Only

Publication Acceptance Date: 5/14/2018

Publication Date: 5/22/2018

Citation: Greenlee, J.J., Moore, S.J., West Greenlee, M.H. 2018.

The agent of H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism transmits after oronasal challenge.

Prion 2018, May 22-25, 2018, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Paper No. P98, page 116. Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In 2006, a case of H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was reported in a cow with a previously unreported prion protein polymorphism (E211K). The E211K polymorphism is heritable and homologous to the E200K mutation in humans that is the most frequent PRNP mutation associated with familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Although the prevalence of the E211K polymorphism is low, cattle carrying the K211 allele develop H-type BSE with a rapid onset after experimental inoculation by the intracranial route.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the agents of H-type BSE or H-type BSE associated with the E211K polymorphism transmit to wild type cattle or cattle with the K211 allele after oronasal exposure.

Wild type (EE211) or heterozygous (EK211) cattle were oronasally inoculated with either H-type BSE from the 2004 US H-type BSE case (n=3) or from the 2006 US H-type case associated with the E211K polymorphism (n=4) using 10% w/v brain homogenates.

Cattle were observed daily throughout the course of the experiment for the development of clinical signs.

At approximately 50 months post-inoculation, one steer (EK211 inoculated with E211K associated H-BSE) developed clinical signs including inattentiveness, loss of body condition, weakness, ataxia, and muscle fasciculations and was euthanized.

Enzyme immunoassay confirmed that abundant misfolded protein was present in the brainstem, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated PrPSc throughout the brain.

Western blot analysis of brain tissue from the clinically affected steer was consistent with the E211K H-type BSE inoculum.

With the experiment currently at 55 months post-inoculation, no other cattle in this study have developed clinical signs suggestive of prion disease.

This study demonstrates that the H-type BSE agent is transmissible by the oronasal route.

These results reinforce the need for ongoing surveillance for classical and atypical BSE to minimize the risk of potentially infectious tissues entering the animal or human food chains.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=353094

P98 The agent of H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism transmits after oronasal challenge

Greenlee JJ (1), Moore SJ (1), and West Greenlee MH (2) (1) United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, IA, United States (2) Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, United States.

In 2006, a case of H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was reported in a cow with a previously unreported prion protein polymorphism (E211K).

The E211K polymorphism is heritable and homologous to the E200K mutation in humans that is the most frequent PRNP mutation associated with familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Although the prevalence of the E211K polymorphism is low, cattle carrying the K211 allele develop H-type BSE with a rapid onset after experimental inoculation by the intracranial route.

Wild type (EE211) or heterozygous (EK211) cattle were oronasally inoculated with either H-type BSE from the 2004 US Htype BSE case (n=3) or from the 2006 US H-type case associated with the E211K polymorphism (n=4) using 10% w/v brain homogenates.

Cattle were observed daily throughout the course of the experiment for the development of clinical signs.

Enzyme immunoassay confirmed that abundant misfolded protein was present in the brainstem, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated PrPSc throughout the brain.

Western blot analysis of brain tissue from the clinically affected steer was consistent with the E211K H-type BSE inoculum.

With the experiment currently at 55 months post-inoculation, no other cattle in this study have developed clinical signs suggestive of prion disease. This study demonstrates that the H-type BSE agent is transmissible by the oronasal route.

These results reinforce the need for ongoing surveillance for classical and atypical BSE to minimize the risk of potentially infectious tissues entering the animal or human food chains.

PRION CONFERENCE 2018 CONFERENCE ABSTRACT

Published: 23 June 2011

Experimental H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy characterized by plaques and glial- and stellate-type prion protein deposits

Hiroyuki Okada, Yoshifumi Iwamaru, Morikazu Imamura, Kentaro Masujin, Yuichi Matsuura, Yoshihisa Shimizu, Kazuo Kasai, Shirou Mohri, Takashi Yokoyama & Stefanie Czub

Abstract

Atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has recently been identified in Europe, North America, and Japan. It is classified as H-type and L-type BSE according to the molecular mass of the disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc). To investigate the topographical distribution and deposition patterns of immunolabeled PrPSc, H-type BSE isolate was inoculated intracerebrally into cattle. H-type BSE was successfully transmitted to 3 calves, with incubation periods between 500 and 600 days. Moderate to severe spongiform changes were detected in the cerebral and cerebellar cortices, basal ganglia, thalamus, and brainstem. H-type BSE was characterized by the presence of PrP-immunopositive amyloid plaques in the white matter of the cerebrum, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Moreover, intraglial-type immunolabeled PrPSc was prominent throughout the brain. Stellate-type immunolabeled PrPSc was conspicuous in the gray matter of the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus, but not in the brainstem. In addition, PrPSc accumulation was detected in the peripheral nervous tissues, such as trigeminal ganglia, dorsal root ganglia, optic nerve, retina, and neurohypophysis. Cattle are susceptible to H-type BSE with a shorter incubation period, showing distinct and distinguishable phenotypes of PrPSc accumulation.

SNIP...

Discussion This study demonstrated successful intraspecies transmission of H-type BSE characterized by a shorter incubation period as compared with C-type BSE [19]. To the best of our knowledge, thus far, neuropathological and immunohistochemical data for H-type BSE have only been reported from the medulla oblongata at the obex in German, United States, and Swedish field cases [10, 13, 24]. This is related to the fact that only the obex region is sampled for BSE rapid tests and other brain regions are often unavailable due to marked autolysis, limitations in collection infrastructure, or freezing artifacts [10, 13, 24, 25]. This is the first presentation of H-type lesion profiles involving the whole CNS and additional nervous tissues, although of experimentally infected animals.

Incubation periods in the cattle challenged with the Canadian H-type BSE (mean period, 18 months) were two months longer than those reported in cattle challenged with German H-type BSE [20]. This difference in incubation periods has several potential explanations, which include differences in agents tested, inoculum titers, and breeding conditions. Infectivity titer issues might be resolved by comparing second-passage infection experiment results.

Spongy changes were generally present in the gray matter throughout the brain and spinal cord, but were more conspicuous in the cerebral cortices, thalamus, hypothalamus, and midbrain. In most brain areas, vacuoles were generally detected in the neuropil and only occasionally in the neurons. The spatial distribution pattern of spongiform changes and immunolabeled PrPSc in the brain of an H-type BSE-infected Zebu, analyzed with N-terminal-specific mAb P4 and C-terminal-specific mAb F99/97.6.1, was similar to that in C-type BSE cases [38]. In natural and experimental C-type BSE cases, spongiform lesions are consistently distributed throughout the brain, but overall, the lesions in the thalamus and brainstem including the midbrain and medulla oblongata at the obex are more severe than those in the cerebral cortices [29, 39]. The results of the present study indicate that the vacuolar lesion score of the H-type BSE-challenged cattle was higher than that of C-type BSE-affected cattle [19, 29, 40, 41]. Moreover, the topographical distribution of PrPSc in the brain of BSE-infected sheep is similar irrespective of the different challenge routes such as intracerebral, intravascular, or intraperitoneal route [42], suggesting common patterns of neuroinvasion and CNS spread [43]. On the contrary, the minor differences detected in the distribution of PrPSc in the brain between deer that are orally and intracerebrally infected with BSE may be due to differences in the routes of infection [44].

The immunolabeling patterns of PrPSc in the cattle affected with H-type BSE were characterized by the presence of both PrPSc-positive plaques and intraglial- and stellate-type PrPSc accumulations in the brain. Severe intraneuronal- and intraglial-type PrPSc accumulations as well as plaque-like PrPSc aggregates with the absence of stellate-type PrPSc deposition have been reported in the obex region of H-type BSE-affected animals [10, 13]. These immunohistochemical features were detected in the obex region and coincided with those observed in the present study. However, neither amyloid plaques nor stellate-type PrPSc depositions have been reported in H-type BSE-affected cattle, most likely due to their limitation to the medulla oblongata at the obex [8, 10, 13, 24].

Two different types of plaques were found in this study: unicentric and multicentric PrP plaques. Most of these plaques were uniformly immunopositive for PrP, with a dense non-Congophilic core. The plaques that had a pale central core with a Congophilic reaction were less frequent. It has been suggested that Congophilic plaques may correspond with the late stage of plaque formation, whereas non-Congophilic plaques coincide with the early stage of CJD and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome [45]. The 2 types of PrPSc-positive plaques--unicentric and multicentric--have been described in L-type BSE [5, 19, 46]. Our results indicate that the presence of PrPSc plaques in the forebrain but not in the brainstem is one of the neuropathological features in cattle affected with atypical BSE. In addition, glial-type PrPSc deposition in the white matter throughout the brain seems to be a characteristic feature of H-type BSE in cattle, as supported by identical findings in German and Swedish H-type BSE field cases [10, 13].

Extracellular PrPSc was immunolabeled with N-terminal-, core-, and C-terminal-specific antibodies, but intracellular PrPSc did not show immunoreactivity to the N-terminal-specific anti-PrP antibodies [47, 48]. Intracellular PrPSc has markedly diminished immunoreactivity to N-terminal-specific anti-PrP antibodies [47]. However, N-terminal-specific mAb P4, which recognizes an epitope at bovine PrP residues 101-107, showed intraneuronal PrPSc immunolabeling in sheep affected with C-type BSE [47] and in Zebu affected with H-type BSE [38]. These results indicate that the epitope region for either mAb P4 or core-specific anti-PrP antibodies is located upstream of an intracellular truncation site [38, 48]. The differences in intracellular PrPSc truncation sites between sheep scrapie and ovine BSE [47] as well as between C-type BSE and H-type BSE [38] most probably depend on the strain and the tissues and cells [47]. The intensity and patterns of PrPSc immunolabeling varied with the different anti-PrP antibodies used, and the difference in the PrPSc immunohistochemical labeling results might be related to the application of different technical protocols, especially antigen retrieval methods [49–51].

The western blot profiles of PrPres for the H-type BSE-challenged cattle and the Canadian H-type BSE-infected brain homogenate used as inoculum were indistinguishable. Results of previous studies prove that H-type BSE isolates have distinct biological and biochemical properties compared with C-type and L-type BSE isolates [3, 52, 53]. The PrPres in H-type BSE, as detected by mAb SAF84 recognizing the C-terminus of PrP, was thought to be composed of 2 fragments with molecular masses of 19 kDa and 10-12 kDa, possessing a different cleavage site in the N-terminal region with PK digestion [53]. The higher molecular mass of the unglycosylated PrPres molecules, which included an additional 10-12 kDa fragment, in the Canadian H-type BSE case was maintained in the challenged animals. These unique molecular features of PrP in H-type BSE are also well preserved in transgenic and wild type mice [16, 53]. In addition, a distinct 10-12 kDa fragment detected with C-terminal-specific antibodies in H-type BSE might be associated with the presence of PrP plaques [53].

Although PrPC glycosylation seems to play a critical role in the maintenance of strain-dependent prion neurotropism [54, 55], a recent study has demonstrated that PrPSc glycosylation is not required for the maintenance of strain-specific neurotropisms [56]. Strain-dependent prion neurotropism is currently unknown, but several possibilities have been indicated [56]. Moreover, a local difference in the PrPSc replication rate may be attributed to a high degree of neurotropism in H-type BSE similar to that observed in C-type BSE [57].

Since 2003, sporadic and discontinuous occurrence of atypical BSE has been detected in Europe, North America, and Japan. Although, till date, the origin and frequency of atypical BSE is unknown, a high prevalence is found in older cattle over the age of eight years. This is the result of the active surveillance programs using rapid screening tests, with the exception of a Zebu case [38]. It has been reported that H-type BSE can be the result of a naturally occurring, heritable variant caused by glutamic acid/lysine polymorphism at codon 211 of the bovine PRNP gene (E211K) [11, 58]. However, our cases, although experimentally challenged via the intracranial route, and the original Canadian H-type BSE field case [11, 58] developed the disease without the novel mutation E211K within PRNP. Therefore, atypical BSE seemed to be sporadic rather than inherited with a higher risk in fallen stock than in healthy slaughtered cattle [8, 13, 25], suggesting that young adult cattle affected with atypical BSE might be dormant carriers. Further studies are required to determine the epidemiological significance and origin of atypical BSE.

The present study demonstrated successful intraspecies transmission of H-type BSE to cattle and the distribution and immunolabeling patterns of PrPSc in the brain of the H-type BSE-challenged cattle. TSE agent virulence can be minimally defined by oral transmission of different TSE agents (C-type, L-type, and H-type BSE agents) [59]. Oral transmission studies with H-type BSE-infected cattle have been initiated and are underway to provide information regarding the extent of similarity in the immunohistochemical and molecular features before and after transmission. In addition, the present data will support risk assessments in some peripheral tissues derived from cattle affected with H-type BSE.

References...END

https://veterinaryresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1297-9716-42-79

>This information gives insight into the genesis of new prion strains. It also supports the hypothesis that TME can originate from feeding mink protein from cattle afflicted with L-BSE providing evidence to support regulatory decisions for non-food animal species.<

Research Project: Pathobiology, Genetics, and Detection of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Location: Virus and Prion Research

2020 Annual Report

Objectives
Objective 1: Investigate the mechanisms of protein misfolding in prion disease, including the genetic determinants of misfolding of the prion protein, environmental influences on abnormal prion conversion, and environmental influences on protein misfolding as it relates to prion diseases. Objective 2: Investigate the pathobiology of prion strains in natural hosts, including the influence of prion source genotype on interspecies transmission and the pathobiology of atypical transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and the presence of CWD prion strains in natural hosts by processing field samples through a strain identification program. Subobjective 2.A: Investigate the pathobiology of atypical TSEs. Subobjective 2.B: Investigate the influence of prion source genotype on interspecies transmission. Objective 3: Investigate sampling methodologies for antemortem detection of prion disease, including the utility of blood sampling as a means to assess prion disease status of affected animals and the utility of environmental sampling for monitoring herd prion disease status. Subobjective 3.A: Investigate the utility of blood sampling as a means to assess prion disease status of affected animals. Subobjective 3.B: Investigate the utility of environmental sampling for monitoring herd prion disease status. Objective 4: Determine the association of disease susceptibility or resistance with naturally occurring prion protein genotypes not yet associated with positive cases on infected premises, including genotype associated differences in prion accumulation and excretion, and develop a logic-based decision tree for CWD strain determination. Objective 5: Develop improved live animal test for the detection of CWD-affected cervids, including a sensitive live animal test to detect CWD prions in individual animals, a sensitive live animal screening test for the purpose of determining a herd’s CWD status, and a sensitive deployable CWD test for use by State diagnostic labs.

Approach
The studies will focus on three animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) agents found in the United States: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE); scrapie of sheep and goats; and chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer, elk, and moose. The research will address sites of protein folding and misfolding as it relates to prion disease, accumulation of misfolded protein in the host, routes of infection, and ante mortem diagnostics with an emphasis on controlled conditions and natural routes of infection. Techniques used will include spectroscopic monitoring of protein folding/misfolding, clinical exams, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and biochemical analysis of proteins. The enhanced knowledge gained from this work will help understand the underlying mechanisms of prion disease and mitigate the potential for unrecognized epidemic expansions of these diseases in populations of animals that could either directly or indirectly affect food animals.

Progress Report
Five of the seven project plan milestones for FY20 were fully met with the remaining two substantially met. Research efforts directed toward meeting Objective 1 of our project plan originally centered around the production of recombinant prion protein from either bacteria or mammalian tissue culture systems and collection of data on the folding and misfolding of the recombinant prion protein produced. The amount of expressed protein from mammalian expression systems was inherently too low to fully accomplish all aspects of the proposed work. Due to this we have altered our research plan but are still able to accomplish the end goal of understanding the influence of metal ions on prion disease using a mutagenesis based approach altering the metal ion binding sites. Due to the long-term nature of Objective 2, the progress status of the objective has not changed. All studies have been initiated and animals are under observation for the development of clinical signs. The animal studies for this objective are long term and will continue until onset of clinical signs. In vitro studies planned in parallel to the animal's studies have similarly been initiated and are ongoing. Objective 3 of the project plan focuses on the detection of disease associated prion protein in body fluids and feces collected from a time course study of chronic wasting disease inoculated animals. At this time sample collection is complete and preliminary methods have been established. Optimization of those methods is nearing completion and the feasibility of using pooled samples to assess overall herd status is being investigated. Objectives 4 and 5 were recently added to the project and work on both is in the preliminary stages.

Accomplishments
1. Differing genetic backgrounds of prion disease sources do not affect likelihood of disease progression. Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect a wide range of livestock and wildlife. The disease process occurs through the misfolding of a normally occurring protein. A recently developed approach for the detection of this misfolded protein uses a technique referred to as Real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QulC). RT-QulC amplifies the amount of misfolded protein for detection and has been used to differentiate prion diseases through differences in the rate of misfolding. ARS scientists in Ames, Iowa, completed a study comparing the relative rates of misfolding in RT-QulC from different sources of chronic wasting disease using both human and bank vole prion protein as the substrate for amplification. Regardless of the chronic wasting disease source and genotype, the bank vole substrate was equivalently sensitive indicating the utility of this substrate for the detection of CWD regardless of host or genotype. Similarly, with human prion protein substrate no differences were found indicating that at the level of conversion of the human prion protein to the fibril form conformation all tested CWD isolates are equivalent. From a diagnostic perspective this further justifies the use of bank vole prion protein as a universal substrate and indicates that regardless of genotype of the CWD source the risk to humans is likely the same. Both results provide important information for knowledge based regulatory decisions by state and federal agencies.

2. Developed an improved enrichment method for amplification-based prion detection. Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect a wide range of livestock and wildlife. The disease process occurs through the misfolding of a normally occurring protein. Detection of this misfolded protein is the only known means by which a prion disease can be diagnosed. A recently developed approach for the detection of this misfolded protein uses a technique referred to as Real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QulC). RT-QulC amplifies the amount of misfolded protein available for detection but can be inhibited by naturally occurring contaminants in the tissue samples used for the technique. ARS scientists in Ames, Iowa, developed a method to clean the samples prior to analysis and demonstrated the sample cleanup technique enhanced the detection and reduced the time required to assess the results providing additional tools for diagnostic laboratories.

3. Improved understanding of cross-species transmission of the prion disease transmissible mink encephalopathy. This work specifically evaluated susceptibility of sheep to bovine adapted transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) and evaluated pathobiology of disease. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, are fatal brain diseases that affect livestock species. Prion diseases have been shown to jump species as exhibited when classical bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) infected cattle products were consumed by humans resulting in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Another example of cross-species transmission results in a disease of farmed mink known as TME. The present study was designed to determine the effect of cross-species transmission of TSEs in livestock on the ability to infect mice expressing the cattle prion protein. ARS scientists in Ames, Iowa, found that passing cattle adapted TME prions from cattle to sheep changed the ability of the prions to infect mice. These results were compared to atypical BSE (L-BSE type) and Classical BSE (C-BSE type). Depending on the genotype of sheep used, the disease in mice appeared similar to either L-BSE or C-BSE. These results indicate a shift in the disease outcome based on transmission through sheep with different genotypes. This information gives insight into the genesis of new prion strains. It also supports the hypothesis that TME can originate from feeding mink protein from cattle afflicted with L-BSE providing evidence to support regulatory decisions for non-food animal species.

4. Discovery of a novel strain of chronic wasting disease is present in experimentally inoculated LL132 elk. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of deer and elk that causes damaging changes in the brain. The infectious agent is an abnormal protein called a prion that has misfolded from its normal state. Whether or not an elk will get CWD is affected by their genetics. This study evaluated transmission of abnormal prion protein from elk of 3 different genotypes that were infected with CWD to transgenic mice expressing the elk prion protein. Previous work by ARS scientists in Ames, Iowa, demonstrated that there are differences in incubation periods, patterns of abnormal prion accumulation in the brain, and fibril stability features in these different genotypes of elk. This study demonstrates that elk donor genotype-associated differences in relative incubation periods, fibril stability, and lesions in the brain were maintained across first and second passages to mice suggesting that they are different CWD strains that may require different approaches for prevention and eradication. This information is useful to wildlife managers and captive wildlife owners that are selectively breeding animals and could impact future regulations for the control of CWD in the U.S.

5. Development of in vitro modelling system for chronic wasting disease. Prion diseases are invariably fatal neurologic diseases for which there is no known prevention or cure. Because of long incubation times and knowledge gaps in how the disease progresses, there is not a well-defined model for testing potential cures or preventative measures. ARS scientists in Ames, Iowa, developed an ultrasensitive in vitro modeling system for chronic wasting disease (CWD) infectivity of samples from deer or elk. In the first step, prion agents are cultured on a brain slice derived from a prion-susceptible mouse. In the second step, an in vitro prion amplification technique (Real-Time Quaking Induced Conversion or RT-QuIC) is used to test for infectivity of the slices. This work demonstrated that the slice cultures are able to accumulate CWD prions that could be detected by RT-QuIC and more traditional laboratory methods, such as mouse bioassay and immunohistochemistry. In addition, three compounds with potential anti-prion properties were screened using slice culture and RT-QuIC indicating that this model may be useful in developing potential treatment schemes for prion disease. Because mechanisms of neurodegeneration in prion disease are similar to other protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, use of this model could have a major impact on improving treatments for other neurodegenerative diseases.

Review Publications

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=432011&fy=2020

Open Access

Published: 31 August 2021

Classical BSE prions emerge from asymptomatic pigs challenged with atypical/Nor98 scrapie

Belén Marín, Alicia Otero, Séverine Lugan, Juan Carlos Espinosa, Alba Marín-Moreno, Enric Vidal, Carlos Hedman, Antonio Romero, Martí Pumarola, Juan J. Badiola, Juan María Torres, Olivier Andréoletti & Rosa Bolea

Scientific Reports volume 11, Article number: 17428 (2021) Cite this article

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Abstract

Pigs are susceptible to infection with the classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE) agent following experimental inoculation, and PrPSc accumulation was detected in porcine tissues after the inoculation of certain scrapie and chronic wasting disease isolates. However, a robust transmission barrier has been described in this species and, although they were exposed to C-BSE agent in many European countries, no cases of natural transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) infections have been reported in pigs. Transmission of atypical scrapie to bovinized mice resulted in the emergence of C-BSE prions. Here, we conducted a study to determine if pigs are susceptible to atypical scrapie. To this end, 12, 8–9-month-old minipigs were intracerebrally inoculated with two atypical scrapie sources. Animals were euthanized between 22- and 72-months post inoculation without clinical signs of TSE. All pigs tested negative for PrPSc accumulation by enzyme immunoassay, immunohistochemistry, western blotting and bioassay in porcine PrP mice. Surprisingly, in vitro protein misfolding cyclic amplification demonstrated the presence of C-BSE prions in different brain areas from seven pigs inoculated with both atypical scrapie isolates. Our results suggest that pigs exposed to atypical scrapie prions could become a reservoir for C-BSE and corroborate that C-BSE prions emerge during interspecies passage of atypical scrapie.

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In conclusion, our findings suggest that, although pigs present a strong transmission barrier against the propagation of atypical scrapie, they can propagate low levels of C-BSE prions. The prevalence of atypical scrapie and the presence of infectivity in tissues from atypical scrapie infected sheep are underestimated24,25. Given that pigs have demonstrated being susceptible to other prion diseases, and to propagate prions without showing signs of disease, the measures implemented to ban the inclusion of ruminant proteins in livestock feed must not be interrupted.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-96818-2

Research Project: Pathobiology, Genetics, and Detection of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Experimental transmission of the chronic wasting disease agent to swine after oral or intracranial inoculation

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=339093

Sunday, January 10, 2021

APHIS Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [Docket No. APHIS-2018-0087] Singeltary Submission June 17, 2019

APHIS Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [Docket No. APHIS-2018-0087] Singeltary Submission

Greetings APHIS et al,

I would kindly like to comment on APHIS Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [Docket No. APHIS-2018-0087], and my comments are as follows, with the latest peer review and transmission studies as references of evidence.

THE OIE/USDA BSE Minimal Risk Region MRR is nothing more than free pass to import and export the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion disease. December 2003, when the USDA et al lost it's supposedly 'GOLD CARD' ie BSE FREE STATUS (that was based on nothing more than not looking and not finding BSE), once the USA lost it's gold card BSE Free status, the USDA OIE et al worked hard and fast to change the BSE Geographical Risk Statuses i.e. the BSE GBR's, and replaced it with the BSE MRR policy, the legal tool to trade mad cow type disease TSE Prion Globally. The USA is doing just what the UK did, when they shipped mad cow disease around the world, except with the BSE MRR policy, it's now legal.

Also, the whole concept of the BSE MRR policy is based on a false pretense, that atypical BSE is not transmissible, and that only typical c-BSE is transmissible via feed. This notion that atypical BSE TSE Prion is an old age cow disease that is not infectious is absolutely false, there is NO science to show this, and on the contrary, we now know that atypical BSE will transmit by ORAL ROUTES, but even much more concerning now, recent science has shown that Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion in deer and elk which is rampant with no stopping is sight in the USA, and Scrapie TSE Prion in sheep and goat, will transmit to PIGS by oral routes, this is our worst nightmare, showing even more risk factors for the USA FDA PART 589 TSE PRION FEED ban.

The FDA PART 589 TSE PRION FEED ban has failed terribly bad, and is still failing, since August 1997. there is tonnage and tonnage of banned potential mad cow feed that went into commerce, and still is, with one decade, 10 YEARS, post August 1997 FDA PART 589 TSE PRION FEED ban, 2007, with 10,000,000 POUNDS, with REASON, Products manufactured from bulk feed containing blood meal that was cross contaminated with prohibited meat and bone meal and the labeling did not bear cautionary BSE statement. you can see all these feed ban warning letters and tonnage of mad cow feed in commerce, year after year, that is not accessible on the internet anymore like it use to be, you can see history of the FDA failure August 1997 FDA PART 589 TSE PRION FEED ban here, but remember this, we have a new outbreak of TSE Prion disease in a new livestock species, the camel, and this too is very worrisome.

WITH the OIE and the USDA et al weakening the global TSE prion surveillance, by not classifying the atypical Scrapie as TSE Prion disease, and the notion that they want to do the same thing with typical scrapie and atypical BSE, it's just not scientific.

WE MUST abolish the BSE MRR policy, go back to the BSE GBR risk assessments by country, and enhance them to include all strains of TSE Prion disease in all species. With Chronic Wasting CWD TSE Prion disease spreading in Europe, now including, Norway, Finland, Sweden, also in Korea, Canada and the USA, and the TSE Prion in Camels, the fact the the USA is feeding potentially CWD, Scrapie, BSE, typical and atypical, to other animals, and shipping both this feed and or live animals or even grains around the globe, potentially exposed or infected with the TSE Prion. this APHIS Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [Docket No. APHIS-2018-0087], under it's present definition, does NOT show the true risk of the TSE Prion in any country. as i said, it's nothing more than a legal tool to trade the TSE Prion around the globe, nothing but ink on paper.

AS long as the BSE MRR policy stays in effect, TSE Prion disease will continued to be bought and sold as food for both humans and animals around the globe, and the future ramifications from friendly fire there from, i.e. iatrogenic exposure and transmission there from from all of the above, should not be underestimated. ...

https://beta.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2018-0087-0002

https://downloads.regulations.gov/APHIS-2018-0087-0002/attachment_1.pdf

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2019/06/aphis-concurrence-with-oie-risk.html

Sunday, January 10, 2021

APHIS Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [Docket No. APHIS-2018-0087] Singeltary Submission June 17, 2019

https://oieusdabseprp.blogspot.com/2021/01/aphis-concurrence-with-oie-risk.html

Friday, December 14, 2012

DEFRA U.K. What is the risk of Chronic Wasting Disease CWD being introduced into Great Britain? A Qualitative Risk Assessment October 2012

snip.....

In the USA, under the Food and Drug Administration's BSE Feed Regulation (21 CFR 589.2000) most material (exceptions include milk, tallow, and gelatin) from deer and elk is prohibited for use in feed for ruminant animals. With regards to feed for non-ruminant animals, under FDA law, CWD positive deer may not be used for any animal feed or feed ingredients. For elk and deer considered at high risk for CWD, the FDA recommends that these animals do not enter the animal feed system. However, this recommendation is guidance and not a requirement by law. Animals considered at high risk for CWD include:

1) animals from areas declared to be endemic for CWD and/or to be CWD eradication zones and

2) deer and elk that at some time during the 60-month period prior to slaughter were in a captive herd that contained a CWD-positive animal.

Therefore, in the USA, materials from cervids other than CWD positive animals may be used in animal feed and feed ingredients for non-ruminants.

The amount of animal PAP that is of deer and/or elk origin imported from the USA to GB can not be determined, however, as it is not specified in TRACES.

It may constitute a small percentage of the 8412 kilos of non-fish origin processed animal proteins that were imported from US into GB in 2011.

Overall, therefore, it is considered there is a __greater than negligible risk___ that (nonruminant) animal feed and pet food containing deer and/or elk protein is imported into GB.

There is uncertainty associated with this estimate given the lack of data on the amount of deer and/or elk protein possibly being imported in these products.

snip.....

36% in 2007 (Almberg et al., 2011). In such areas, population declines of deer of up to 30 to 50% have been observed (Almberg et al., 2011). In areas of Colorado, the prevalence can be as high as 30% (EFSA, 2011). The clinical signs of CWD in affected adults are weight loss and behavioural changes that can span weeks or months (Williams, 2005). In addition, signs might include excessive salivation, behavioural alterations including a fixed stare and changes in interaction with other animals in the herd, and an altered stance (Williams, 2005). These signs are indistinguishable from cervids experimentally infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Given this, if CWD was to be introduced into countries with BSE such as GB, for example, infected deer populations would need to be tested to differentiate if they were infected with CWD or BSE to minimise the risk of BSE entering the human food-chain via affected venison. snip..... The rate of transmission of CWD has been reported to be as high as 30% and can approach 100% among captive animals in endemic areas (Safar et al., 2008).

snip.....

In summary, in endemic areas, there is a medium probability that the soil and surrounding environment is contaminated with CWD prions and in a bioavailable form. In rural areas where CWD has not been reported and deer are present, there is a greater than negligible risk the soil is contaminated with CWD prion. snip..... In summary, given the volume of tourists, hunters and servicemen moving between GB and North America, the probability of at least one person travelling to/from a CWD affected area and, in doing so, contaminating their clothing, footwear and/or equipment prior to arriving in GB is greater than negligible... For deer hunters, specifically, the risk is likely to be greater given the increased contact with deer and their environment. However, there is significant uncertainty associated with these estimates.

snip.....

Therefore, it is considered that farmed and park deer may have a higher probability of exposure to CWD transferred to the environment than wild deer given the restricted habitat range and higher frequency of contact with tourists and returning GB residents.

snip.....

https://web.archive.org/web/20170404125557/http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130822084033/http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/files/qra_chronic-wasting-disease-121029.pdf

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

Atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE OIE, FDA 589.2001 FEED REGULATIONS, and Ingestion Therefrom

https://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2021/09/atypical-bovine-spongiform.html

***> READ THIS VERY, VERY, CAREFULLY, AUGUST 1997 MAD COW FEED BAN WAS A SHAM, AS I HAVE STATED SINCE 1997! 3 FAILSAFES THE FDA ET AL PREACHED AS IF IT WERE THE GOSPEL, IN TERMS OF MAD COW BSE DISEASE IN USA, AND WHY IT IS/WAS/NOT A PROBLEM FOR THE USA, and those are;

BSE TESTING (failed terribly and proven to be a sham)

BSE SURVEILLANCE (failed terribly and proven to be a sham)

BSE 589.2001 FEED REGULATIONS (another colossal failure, and proven to be a sham)

these are facts folks. trump et al just admitted it with the feed ban.

see;

FDA Reports on VFD Compliance

John Maday

August 30, 2019 09:46 AM VFD-Form 007 (640x427)

Before and after the current Veterinary Feed Directive rules took full effect in January, 2017, the FDA focused primarily on education and outreach. ( John Maday ) Before and after the current Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rules took full effect in January, 2017, the FDA focused primarily on education and outreach to help feed mills, veterinarians and producers understand and comply with the requirements. Since then, FDA has gradually increased the number of VFD inspections and initiated enforcement actions when necessary. On August 29, FDA released its first report on inspection and compliance activities. The report, titled “Summary Assessment of Veterinary Feed Directive Compliance Activities Conducted in Fiscal Years 2016 – 2018,” is available online.

https://www.fda.gov/media/130382/download

FDA Reports on VFD Compliance

John Maday

August 30, 2019 09:46 AM VFD-Form 007 (640x427)

Before and after the current Veterinary Feed Directive rules took full effect in January, 2017, the FDA focused primarily on education and outreach. ( John Maday )

Before and after the current Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rules took full effect in January, 2017, the FDA focused primarily on education and outreach to help feed mills, veterinarians and producers understand and comply with the requirements. Since then, FDA has gradually increased the number of VFD inspections and initiated enforcement actions when necessary.

On August 29, FDA released its first report on inspection and compliance activities. The report, titled “Summary Assessment of Veterinary Feed Directive Compliance Activities Conducted in Fiscal Years 2016 – 2018,” is available online.

https://www.fda.gov/media/130382/download

Overall, the FDA reports a high level of compliance across the affected livestock-industry sectors.

In fiscal year 2016, FDA began a small, three-part pilot inspection program that began with inspectors visiting feed distributors to review randomly selected VFD documents. The inspectors then selected one VFD at the distributor and conducted further inspections of the veterinarian and producer (client) named on that VFD.

In fiscal years 2017 and 2018, FDA continued those three-part inspections and expanded the program to include state feed regulatory partners. In fiscal year 2017, state personnel inspected VFD distributors and reviewed selected VFDs for compliance with the requirements. In 2018, those state inspectors began conducting three-part inspections, similar to those conducted by the FDA investigators. With state inspectors contributing, the number of VFD inspections increased from 57 in 2016 to 130 in 2017 and 269 during 2018.

Of the 269 inspections during 2018, 230 required no action, 38 indicated voluntary action and just one indicated official enforcement action.

Key findings in the report include:

Distributors (2018)

Distributor had notified FDA of their intent to distribute VFD feeds -- 94.8%

Distributors who distributed a VFD feed that complied with the terms of the VFD -- 91.5%

Distributors who manufacture VFD feed: Drug inventory or production records showed the correct amount of drug was added to the feed for the VFD reviewed -- 96.7%

Distributors who manufacture VFD feed: Labels and formulas matched the VFD reviewed -- 91.0%

Distributor’s VFD feed labels contained the VFD caution statement -- 77.2%

Veterinarians

Veterinarians had an active license in the state where the VFD feed authorized on the VFD order(s) is being fed -- 100%

VFDs included veterinarians’ electronic or written signature -- 98.6%

VFDs included the withdrawal time, special instructions, and/or cautionary statements -- 95.3%

Producers

Client did not feed VFD feed beyond the expiration date on the VFD -- 100%

Client fed VFD feed to the animals authorized on the VFD (number, species, and/or production class) -- 100%

Client fed VFD feed for the duration identified on the VFD -- 100%

Client complied with the special instructions on the VFD -- 100%

FDA issued just one warning letter following inspections during fiscal year 2018, for a feed mill that “adulterated and misbranded VFD feed by distributing VFD feed to other distributors without first receiving an acknowledgment letter, in addition to adulterating and misbranding medicated and non-medicated feed for other reasons.”

In its report, FDA reminds stakeholders that VFD medicated feeds must be used in according to the approved conditions of use and must be under the oversight of a licensed veterinarian and consistent with a lawful VFD order. The agency intends to continue monitoring compliance, and to provide education, but FDA will also use enforcement strategies when voluntary compliance with the VFD final rule requirements is not achieved.

See the full summary report from FDA.

https://www.fda.gov/media/130382/download

For more on the VFD rules and compliance, see these articles from BovineVetOnline.com.

VFD Audits: What to Expect

https://www.bovinevetonline.com/article/vfd-audits-what-expect-0

VFD Audits: Start with the Feed Distributor

https://www.bovinevetonline.com/article/vfd-audits-start-feed-distributor

FDA Draft Guidance Updates VFD Q&A

https://www.bovinevetonline.com/article/fda-draft-guidance-updates-vfd-qa

https://www.bovinevetonline.com/article/fda-reports-vfd-compliance?fbclid=IwAR3ejswwNoiWH7sVww_gEwiFcyoG7MzI2iZUMPU9wHK3OJKXpdy4di5A4dk

https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20201222181302/https://www.fda.gov/media/130382/download

https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20190912060441/https://www.fda.gov/media/130382/download

https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20191217045515/https://www.fda.gov/media/130382/download

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2019/09/fda-reports-on-vfd-compliance.html

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

***> FDA Reports on VFD Compliance

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2019/09/fda-reports-on-vfd-compliance.html

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

***> EXTREME USA FDA PART 589 TSE PRION FEED LOOP HOLE STILL EXIST, AND PRICE OF POKER GOES UP ***

http://usdameatexport.blogspot.com/2017/04/extreme-usa-fda-part-589-tse-prion-feed.html

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

Veterinary Biologics Guideline 3.32E: Guideline for minimising the risk of introducing transmissible spongiform encephalopathy prions and other infectious agents through veterinary biologics

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2019/09/veterinary-biologics-guideline-332e.html

U.S.A. 50 STATE BSE MAD COW CONFERENCE CALL Jan. 9, 2001

Subject: BSE--U.S. 50 STATE CONFERENCE CALL Jan. 9, 2001

Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 16:49:00 -0800

From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr."

Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

To: BSE-L@uni-karlsruhe.de

snip...

[host Richard Barns] and now a question from Terry S. Singeltary of CJD Watch.

[TSS] yes, thank you, U.S. cattle, what kind of guarantee can you give for serum or tissue donor herds?

[no answer, you could hear in the back ground, mumbling and 'we can't. have him ask the question again.]

[host Richard] could you repeat the question?

[TSS] U.S. cattle, what kind of guarantee can you give for serum or tissue donor herds?

[not sure whom ask this] what group are you with?

[TSS] CJD Watch, my Mom died from hvCJD and we are tracking CJD world-wide.

[not sure who is speaking] could you please disconnect Mr. Singeltary

[TSS] you are not going to answer my question?

[not sure whom speaking] NO

snip...see full archive and more of this;

http://tseac.blogspot.com/2011/02/usa-50-state-bse-mad-cow-conference.html

3.2.1.2 Non‐cervid domestic species

https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5863

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/08/susceptibility-of-cattle-to-agent-of.html

http://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2020/06/first-report-of-potential-bovine.html

Working Document on Camel Prion Disease (CPrD) 14/09/2020

Content: I. Introduction II. Camel prion disease III. Case definition IV. Epidemiological surveillance V. Biosafety VI. Capacity building VII. Early warning and response VIII. Risk factors IX. Knowledge Gaps X. References

I. Introduction

Camel prion disease (CPrD) is the last disease described in the family of prion diseases [1]. To date, it has been recognized only in Middle East of Algeria and in the neighboring region of Tunisia [2]. However, there are no known other initiatives of prion diseases surveillance in camels worldwide. CPrD might actually be limited to the already known geographic area in North Africa or spread undetected in other Countries, as a consequence of the movements of dromedaries along trans-Saharan commercial routes, the import/export trade flows of living animals and the traditional extensive and nomadic rearing systems.

According to the discussions in recent meetings of REMESA and OIE which indicated the need to extend the knowledge on CPrD spread in Countries where camels are extensively reared and considered as a part of the domestic livestock [3], and according to the initiative from CAMENET member countries to assess the risk in the CAMENET region, this working document aims to provide countries with the main technical and scientific knowledge necessary to implement surveillance programs on camel prion disease in its own territory. Basic information contained in this document may also be helpful for the possible design of contingency plans.

The present working document is an 'alive' document. It should be regularly reviewed and updated as further information becomes available.

II. Camel prion disease1

Camel prion disease (CPrD) was diagnosed in 2018 in three adult camels showing clinical signs at the ante-mortem inspection at an abattoir in the region of Ouargla (Algeria) [1]. According to the published report symptoms suggesting prion disease occurred in 3.1% of dromedaries brought for slaughter to the Ouargla abattoir in 2015–2016. More recently, in 2019, the same disease was reported in the region of Tataouine (Tunisia) [2]. CPrD adds to the group of animal prion diseases,

1 Modified from the OIE Bulletin: https://oiebulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/OIE-NewsDecember-2019-Camel-priondisease.pdf?utm_source=World+Organisation+for+Animal+Health+%E2%80%93+OIE+Bulletin&utm_c ampaign=388d499799- EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_12_05_09_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7694a173d1- 388d499799-54758659

https://oiebulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/OIE-News-December-2019-Camel-prion-disease.pdf

including scrapie in sheep and goats, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. As of today, very limited epidemiological information is available about the prevalence, geographical distribution and mode of transmission of the disease.

The involvement of lymphoid tissue in prion replication, observed both in the Algerian and Tunisian cases [1,2], is suggestive of a peripheral pathogenesis, which is thought to be a prerequisite for prion shedding into the environment. As with other animal prion diseases, such as scrapie and CWD, in which lymphoid tissues are extensively involved and horizontal transmission occurs efficiently under natural conditions, the detection of prion proteins in lymph nodes is suggestive of the infectious nature of CPrD and concurs to hypothesize the potential impact of CPrD on animal health. No evidence is currently available with which to argue for the relevance of CPrD for human health. However, no absolute species barrier exists in prion diseases and minimizing the exposure of humans to prion-infected animal products is an essential aspect of public health protection.

The worldwide camel population is ~35 million head, 88% of which is found in Africa [4]. The camel farming system is evolving rapidly, and these animals represent vital sources of meat, milk and transportation for millions of people living in the most arid regions of the world. This makes it necessary to assess the risk for animal and human health and to develop evidence-based policies to control and limit the spread of the disease in animals, and to minimize human exposure. As a first step, the awareness of Veterinary Services about CPrD and its diagnostic capacity needs to be improved in all countries where dromedaries are part of the domestic livestock.

Since the first description of CPrD, the OIE promoted discussions on the impact of this new disease through the OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases (Scientific Commission). It evaluated if CPrD should be considered an ‘emerging disease’ based on the criteria listed in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code. The OIE Scientific Commission noted that limited surveillance data were available on the prevalence of CPrD and that the evidence was not enough to measure, at that time, the impact of the disease on animal or public health. Therefore, it was concluded that, with the current knowledge, CPrD did not currently meet the criteria to be considered an emerging disease.

Nonetheless, it was emphasized that CPrD should be considered as a new disease not to be overlooked and called for the collection of further scientific evidence through research and surveillance in the affected countries and in countries with dromedary camel populations to measure the impact of the disease. As new scientific evidence becomes available, the OIE Scientific Commission will reassess whether this disease should be considered as an emerging disease. At the regional level, CPrD was first discussed in the 18th Joint Permanent Committee of the Mediterranean Animal Health Network (REMESA) held in Cairo, Egypt, in June 2019 and at the 15th Conference of the OIE Regional Commission for the Middle East in November. During this conference, the CAMENET launched a wide-ranging proposal for training, coordinated surveillance and research on CPrD. In addition, the ERFAN (Enhancing Research for Africa Network), a platform aimed at enhancing scientific cooperation between Africa and Italy, during its 2nd ERFAN meeting for North Africa, presented a project on CPrD with the objective of increasing CPrD coordinated surveillance in North Africa.

The OIE, through its Reference Laboratories for prion diseases, and by involving the above scientific initiatives, is keeping a close watch on the evolution of the disease to gather scientific evidence and to allow a proper and more thorough assessment of the risk associated with this novel disease.

III. Case definition

snip...see;

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Working Document on Camel Prion Disease (CPrD) 14/09/2020

https://camelusprp.blogspot.com/2021/04/working-document-on-camel-prion-disease.html

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: the effect of oral exposure dose on attack rate and incubation period in cattle

G. A. H. Wells,1 T. Konold,1 M. E. Arnold,1 A. R. Austin,1 3 S. A. C. Hawkins,1 M. Stack,1 M. M. Simmons,1 Y. H. Lee,2 D. Gavier-Wide´n,3 M. Dawson1 4 and J. W. Wilesmith1 1 Correspondence G. A. H. Wells

g.a.h.wells@vla.defra.gsi.gov.uk

1 Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK

2 National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Anyang, Republic of Korea

3 National Veterinary Institute (SVA), SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden

Received 27 July 2006

Accepted 18 November 2006

The dose–response of cattle exposed to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent is an important component of modelling exposure risks for animals and humans and thereby, the modulation of surveillance and control strategies for BSE. In two experiments calves were dosed orally with a range of amounts of a pool of brainstems from BSE-affected cattle. Infectivity in the pool was determined by end-point titration in mice. Recipient cattle were monitored for clinical disease and, from the incidence of pathologically confirmed cases and their incubation periods (IPs), the attack rate and IP distribution according to dose were estimated. The dose at which 50 % of cattle would be clinically affected was estimated at 0.20 g brain material used in the experiment, with 95 % confidence intervals of 0.04–1.00 g. The IP was highly variable across all dose groups and followed a log-normal distribution, with decreasing mean as dose increased. There was no evidence of a threshold dose at which the probability of infection became vanishingly small, with 1/15 (7 %) of animals affected at the lowest dose (1 mg).

snip...

DISCUSSION

The study has demonstrated that disease in cattle can be produced by oral exposure to as little as 1 mg brain homogenate (¡100.4 RIII mouse i.c./i.p. ID50 units) from clinically affected field cases of BSE and that the limiting dose for infection of calves is lower than this exposure...

snip...end

https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/docserver/fulltext/jgv/88/4/1363.pdf?expires=1623186112&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=AE3A4C280431A05B70DE66DEC2E841B4

https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.82421-0#tab2

P04.27

Experimental BSE Infection of Non-human Primates: Efficacy of the Oral Route

Holznagel, E1; Yutzy, B1; Deslys, J-P2; Lasm�zas, C2; Pocchiari, M3; Ingrosso, L3; Bierke, P4; Schulz-Schaeffer, W5; Motzkus, D6; Hunsmann, G6; L�wer, J1 1Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Germany; 2Commissariat � l�Energie Atomique, France; 3Instituto Superiore di Sanit�, Italy; 4Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease control, Sweden; 5Georg August University, Germany; 6German Primate Center, Germany

Background:

In 2001, a study was initiated in primates to assess the risk for humans to contract BSE through contaminated food. For this purpose, BSE brain was titrated in cynomolgus monkeys.

Aims:

The primary objective is the determination of the minimal infectious dose (MID50) for oral exposure to BSE in a simian model, and, by in doing this, to assess the risk for humans. Secondly, we aimed at examining the course of the disease to identify possible biomarkers.

Methods:

Groups with six monkeys each were orally dosed with lowering amounts of BSE brain: 16g, 5g, 0.5g, 0.05g, and 0.005g. In a second titration study, animals were intracerebrally (i.c.) dosed (50, 5, 0.5, 0.05, and 0.005 mg).

Results:

In an ongoing study, a considerable number of high-dosed macaques already developed simian vCJD upon oral or intracerebral exposure or are at the onset of the clinical phase. However, there are differences in the clinical course between orally and intracerebrally infected animals that may influence the detection of biomarkers.

Conclusions:

Simian vCJD can be easily triggered in cynomolgus monkeys on the oral route using less than 5 g BSE brain homogenate. The difference in the incubation period between 5 g oral and 5 mg i.c. is only 1 year (5 years versus 4 years). However, there are rapid progressors among orally dosed monkeys that develop simian vCJD as fast as intracerebrally inoculated animals.

The work referenced was performed in partial fulfilment of the study �BSE in primates� supported by the EU (QLK1-2002-01096).

http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion%20Book%20of%20Abstracts.pdf

https://prionconference.blogspot.com/

look at the table and you'll see that as little as 1 mg (or 0.001 gm) caused 7% (1 of 14) of the cows to come down with BSE;

Risk of oral infection with bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent in primates

Corinne Ida Lasm�zas, Emmanuel Comoy, Stephen Hawkins, Christian Herzog, Franck Mouthon, Timm Konold, Fr�d�ric Auvr�, Evelyne Correia, Nathalie Lescoutra-Etchegaray, Nicole Sal�s, Gerald Wells, Paul Brown, Jean-Philippe Deslys Summary The uncertain extent of human exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)--which can lead to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)--is compounded by incomplete knowledge about the efficiency of oral infection and the magnitude of any bovine-to-human biological barrier to transmission. We therefore investigated oral transmission of BSE to non-human primates. We gave two macaques a 5 g oral dose of brain homogenate from a BSE-infected cow. One macaque developed vCJD-like neurological disease 60 months after exposure, whereas the other remained free of disease at 76 months. On the basis of these findings and data from other studies, we made a preliminary estimate of the food exposure risk for man, which provides additional assurance that existing public health measures can prevent transmission of BSE to man.

snip...

BSE bovine brain inoculum

100 g 10 g 5 g 1 g 100 mg 10 mg 1 mg 0�1 mg 0�01 mg

Primate (oral route)* 1/2 (50%)

Cattle (oral route)* 10/10 (100%) 7/9 (78%) 7/10 (70%) 3/15 (20%) 1/15 (7%) 1/15 (7%)

RIII mice (ic ip route)* 17/18 (94%) 15/17 (88%) 1/14 (7%)

PrPres biochemical detection

The comparison is made on the basis of calibration of the bovine inoculum used in our study with primates against a bovine brain inoculum with a similar PrPres concentration that was

inoculated into mice and cattle.8 *Data are number of animals positive/number of animals surviving at the time of clinical onset of disease in the first positive animal (%). The accuracy of

bioassays is generally judged to be about plus or minus 1 log. ic ip=intracerebral and int****ritoneal.

Table 1: Comparison of transmission rates in primates and cattle infected orally with similar BSE brain inocula

Published online January 27, 2005

http://www.thelancet.com/journal/journal.isa

It is clear that the designing scientists must

also have shared Mr Bradley's surprise at the results because all the dose

levels right down to 1 gram triggered infection.

http://web.archive.org/web/20090506002904/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/ws/s145d.pdf

6. It also appears to me that Mr Bradley's answer (that it would take less than say 100 grams) was probably given with the benefit of hindsight; particularly if one considers that later in the same answer Mr Bradley expresses his surprise that it could take as little of 1 gram of brain to cause BSE by the oral route within the same species. This information did not become available until the "attack rate" experiment had been completed in 1995/96. This was a titration experiment designed to ascertain the infective dose. A range of dosages was used to ensure that the actual result was within both a lower and an upper limit within the study and the designing scientists would not have expected all the dose levels to trigger infection. The dose ranges chosen by the most informed scientists at that time ranged from 1 gram to three times one hundred grams. It is clear that the designing scientists must have also shared Mr Bradley's surprise at the results because all the dose levels right down to 1 gram triggered infection.

http://web.archive.org/web/20090506004507/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/ws/s147f.pdf

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Very low oral exposure to prions of brain or saliva origin can transmit chronic wasting disease

Nathaniel D. Denkers1☯, Clare E. Hoover2☯, Kristen A. DavenportID3, Davin M. Henderson1, Erin E. McNultyID1, Amy V. Nalls1, Candace K. Mathiason1, Edward A. HooverID1*

1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America, 2 AstraZeneca Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America, 3 Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America ☯ These authors contributed equally to this work. * Edward.hoover@colostate.edu

Abstract

The minimum infectious dose required to induce CWD infection in cervids remains unknown, as does whether peripherally shed prions and/or multiple low dose exposures are important factors in CWD transmission. With the goal of better understand CWD infection in nature, we studied oral exposures of deer to very low doses of CWD prions and also examined whether the frequency of exposure or prion source may influence infection and pathogene- sis. We orally inoculated white-tailed deer with either single or multiple divided doses of pri- ons of brain or saliva origin and monitored infection by serial longitudinal tissue biopsies spanning over two years. We report that oral exposure to as little as 300 nanograms (ng) of CWD-positive brain or to saliva containing seeding activity equivalent to 300 ng of CWD- positive brain, were sufficient to transmit CWD disease. This was true whether the inoculum was administered as a single bolus or divided as three weekly 100 ng exposures. However, when the 300 ng total dose was apportioned as 10, 30 ng doses delivered over 12 weeks, no infection occurred. While low-dose exposures to prions of brain or saliva origin prolonged the time from inoculation to first detection of infection, once infection was established, we observed no differences in disease pathogenesis. These studies suggest that the CWD min- imum infectious dose approximates 100 to 300 ng CWD-positive brain (or saliva equivalent), and that CWD infection appears to conform more with a threshold than a cumulative dose dynamic.

Snip...

Discussion

As CWD expands across North America and Scandinavia, how this disease is transmitted so efficiently remains unclear, given the low concentrations of prions shed in secretions and excretions [13, 14]. The present studies demonstrated that a single oral exposure to as little as 300nmg of CWD-positive brain or equivalent saliva can initiate infection in 100% of exposed white-tailed deer. However, distributing this dose as 10, 30 ng exposures failed to induce infec- tion. Overall, these results suggest that the minimum oral infectious exposure approaches 100 to 300 ng of CWD-positive brain equivalent. These dynamics also invite speculation as to whether potential infection co-factors, such as particle binding [46, 47] or compromises in mucosal integrity may influence infection susceptibility, as suggested from two studies in rodent models [48, 49].

Few studies in rodent models have explored oral infection with murine or hamster adapted scrapie by assessing the same total dose administered as a single bolus vs. the same bolus divided into fractional, sequential exposures [50–52]. The results reported by Diringer et al. [50] and Jacquemot et al. [52] have indicated that divided-dose exposures were as effective as a single bolus only if the interval between doses was short (1–2 days). In deer, we likewise found that when a total dose of 300 ng of brain was administered as 10 doses divided doses over 12 weeks this exposure failed to induce CWD infection, whereas three weekly 100 ng doses (300 ng total) induced infection. While this latter outcome may have involved an additive dynamic, we cannot exclude that a dose 100 ng alone also may have been sufficient to establish infection. Our conclusions here are unfortunately limited by the absence of a single 100 ng dose group. Additional experiments are needed to further directly compare single vs. divided exposures to strengthen the tenet that establishment of CWD infection is more a threshold than cumulative dose phenomenon.

We also sought to examine a relatively unexamined possibility that prions emanating from different tissues and/or cells may possess different capacities to establish infections by mucosal routes. Our results indicated that brain and saliva inocula containing similar levels of prion seeding activity, also had similar infectivity, which did not support our hypothesis that saliva prions may be more infectious by mucosal routes. There are of course, several caveats bearing on this conclusion. These could include: the inherent limits in using an in vitro seeding assay as a surrogate to equate in vivo infectivity, the likelihood that small differences in prion suscep- tibility among deer may be more significant at very low exposure doses, and the greater varia- tion of inoculum uptake and routing through mucosal surfaces associated with the oral route of exposure.

The chief correlate we observed between magnitude of infectious dose and disease course was in time from exposure to first detected amplification of prions in tonsil, an event which is closely followed by or concurrent with detection in pharyngeal lymph nodes [41]. Once a threshold dose was established, the subsequent pathogenesis of infection and disease appeared to vary little.

In addition to potential cofactors that could influence CWD infectivity, such as particle binding [47] and compromised mucosal integrity [48, 53], there is PRNP genotype, in which polymorphisms at codon 96 of the white-tailed deer are known to affect the temporal dynam- ics of CWD infections [23, 41, 45]. In the present studies, most cohorts of 96GG deer became CWD-positive before 96GS animals in the same exposure group [cohorts 1, 2, 4, 6]. Thus, the low dose studies are consistent with the current concept of delayed conversion rate in PRNP 96GS vs. 96GG white-tailed deer [44].

In conclusion, we have attempted to model and better understand CWD infection relative to natural exposure. The results demonstrate: (a) that the minimum CWD oral infectious dose is vastly lower than historical studies used to establish infection; (b) that a direct relationship exists between dose and incubation time to first prion replication detection in tonsils, irrespec- tive of genotype; (c) that a difference was not discernible between brain vs. saliva source prions in ability to establish infection or in resultant disease course; and (d) that the CWD infection process appears to conform more to a threshold dose than an accumulative dose dynamic.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7446902/pdf/pone.0237410.pdf

America BSE 589.2001 FEED REGULATIONS, BSE SURVEILLANCE, BSE TESTING, and CJD TSE Prion

H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism:

clinical and pathologic features in wild-type and E211K cattle following intracranial inoculation

H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism: clinical and pathologic features in wild-type and E211K cattle following intracranial inoculation

Research Project: TRANSMISSION, DIFFERENTIATION, AND PATHOBIOLOGY OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES

Title: H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism: clinical and pathologic features in wild-type and E211K cattle following intracranial inoculation

Authors

item Moore, Sarah - item West Greenlee, Mary - item Smith, Jodi item Nicholson, Eric item Vrentas, Catherine item Greenlee, Justin

Submitted to: Prion

Publication Type: Abstract Only

Publication Acceptance Date: August 12, 2015

Publication Date: May 25, 2015

Citation: Moore, S.J., West Greenlee, M.H., Smith, J., Nicholson, E., Vrentas, C., Greenlee, J. 2015. H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy associated with E211K prion protein polymorphism: clinical and pathologic features in wild-type and E211K cattle following intracranial inoculation. Prion 2015. p. S5.

Technical Abstract: In 2006 an H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) case was reported in an animal with an unusual polymorphism (E211K) in the prion protein gene. Although the prevalence of this polymorphism is low, cattle carrying the K211 allele are predisposed to rapid onset of H-type BSE when exposed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenotype of this BSE strain in wild-type (E211E) and E211K heterozygous cattle. One calf carrying the wild-type allele and one E211K calf were inoculated intracranially with H-type BSE brain homogenate from the US 2006 case that also carried one K211 allelle. In addition, one wild-type calf and one E211K calf were inoculated intracranially with brain homogenate from a US 2003 classical BSE case. All animals succumbed to clinical disease. Survival times for E211K H-type BSE inoculated catttle (10 and 18 months) were shorter than the classical BSE inoculated cattle (both 26 months). Significant changes in retinal function were observed in H-type BSE challenged cattle only. Animals challenged with the same inoculum showed similar severity and neuroanatomical distribution of vacuolation and disease-associated prion protein deposition in the brain, though differences in neuropathology were observed between E211K H-type BSE and classical BSE inoculated animals. Western blot results for brain tissue from challenged animals were consistent with the inoculum strains. This study demonstrates that the phenotype of E211K H-type BSE remains stable when transmitted to cattle without the E211K polymorphism, and exhibits a number of features that differ from classical BSE in both wild-type and E211K cattle.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=313915

*** All animals succumbed to clinical disease. Survival times for E211K H-type BSE inoculated catttle (10 and 18 months) were shorter than the classical BSE inoculated cattle (both 26 months). ***

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: re-BSE prions propagate as either variant CJD-like or sporadic CJD

Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 10:23:43 -0000

From: "Asante, Emmanuel A" e.asante@ic.ac.uk

To: "'flounder@wt.net'" flounder@wt.net

Dear Terry,

I have been asked by Professor Collinge to respond to your request. I am a Senior Scientist in the MRC Prion Unit and the lead author on the paper. I have attached a pdf copy of the paper for your attention.

Thank you for your interest in the paper.

In respect of your first question, the simple answer is, ***yes. As you will find in the paper, we have managed to associate the alternate phenotype to type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. It is too early to be able to claim any further sub-classification in respect of Heidenhain variant CJD or Vicky Rimmer's version. It will take further studies, which are on-going, to establish if there are sub-types to our initial finding which we are now reporting. The main point of the paper is that, as well as leading to the expected new variant CJD phenotype, BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype which is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc.

I hope reading the paper will enlighten you more on the subject. If I can be of any further assistance please to not hesitate to ask. Best wishes..

Emmanuel Asante

< >

____________________________________

Dr. Emmanuel A Asante MRC Prion Unit & Neurogenetics Dept. Imperial College School of Medicine (St. Mary's) Norfolk Place, LONDON W2 1PG Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 3794 Fax: +44 (0)20 7706 3272 email: e.asante@ic.ac..uk (until 9/12/02) New e-mail: e.asante@prion.ucl.ac.uk (active from now)

_________end...TSS___________________

***Our study demonstrates susceptibility of adult cattle to oral transmission of classical BSE. ***

***our findings suggest that possible transmission risk of H-type BSE to sheep and human. ***

P.86: Estimating the risk of transmission of BSE and scrapie to ruminants and humans by protein misfolding cyclic amplification

Morikazu Imamura, Naoko Tabeta, Yoshifumi Iwamaru, and Yuichi Murayama National Institute of Animal Health; Tsukuba, Japan

To assess the risk of the transmission of ruminant prions to ruminants and humans at the molecular level, we investigated the ability of abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) of typical and atypical BSEs (L-type and H-type) and typical scrapie to convert normal prion protein (PrPC) from bovine, ovine, and human to proteinase K-resistant PrPSc-like form (PrPres) using serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA).

Six rounds of serial PMCA was performed using 10% brain homogenates from transgenic mice expressing bovine, ovine or human PrPC in combination with PrPSc seed from typical and atypical BSE- or typical scrapie-infected brain homogenates from native host species. In the conventional PMCA, the conversion of PrPC to PrPres was observed only when the species of PrPC source and PrPSc seed matched. However, in the PMCA with supplements (digitonin, synthetic polyA and heparin), both bovine and ovine PrPC were converted by PrPSc from all tested prion strains. On the other hand, human PrPC was converted by PrPSc from typical and H-type BSE in this PMCA condition.

Although these results were not compatible with the previous reports describing the lack of transmissibility of H-type BSE to ovine and human transgenic mice, ***our findings suggest that possible transmission risk of H-type BSE to sheep and human. Bioassay will be required to determine whether the PMCA products are infectious to these animals.

================

https://prion2015.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/prion2015abstracts.pdf

https://prion2015.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/programguide1.pdf

RE-Molecular, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics of BSE in Canada

Posted by flounder on 19 May 2010 at 21:21 GMT

Full text Singeltary et al PLOS

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comment?id=info:doi/10.1371/annotation/4f9be886-69fe-4c7c-922b-85b0ecbe6d53

> Epidemiological investigations conducted by USDA personnel failed to reveal any evidence of a feed source contaminated with TSE material fed to this animal

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/bse/downloads/EPI_Final5-2-06..pdf

BSE 589.2001 FEED REGULATIONS ???

BANNED MAD COW FEED IN COMMERCE IN ALABAMA

Date: September 6, 2006 at 7:58 am PST PRODUCT

a) EVSRC Custom dairy feed, Recall # V-130-6;

b) Performance Chick Starter, Recall # V-131-6;

c) Performance Quail Grower, Recall # V-132-6;

d) Performance Pheasant Finisher, Recall # V-133-6.

CODE None RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER Donaldson & Hasenbein/dba J&R Feed Service, Inc., Cullman, AL, by telephone on June 23, 2006 and by letter dated July 19, 2006. Firm initiated recall is complete.

REASON

Dairy and poultry feeds were possibly contaminated with ruminant based protein.

VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE 477.72 tons

DISTRIBUTION AL

______________________________

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/enforce/2006/ENF00968.html

PRODUCT Bulk custom dairy pre-mixes,

Recall # V-120-6 CODE None RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER Ware Milling Inc., Houston, MS, by telephone on June 23, 2006. Firm initiated recall is complete. REASON Possible contamination of dairy animal feeds with ruminant derived meat and bone meal.

VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE 350 tons

DISTRIBUTION AL and MS

______________________________

PRODUCT

a) Tucker Milling, LLC Tm 32% Sinking Fish Grower, #2680-Pellet, 50 lb.. bags, Recall # V-121-6;

b) Tucker Milling, LLC #31120, Game Bird Breeder Pellet, 50 lb. bags, Recall # V-122-6;

c) Tucker Milling, LLC #31232 Game Bird Grower, 50 lb. bags, Recall # V-123-6;

d) Tucker Milling, LLC 31227-Crumble, Game Bird Starter, BMD Medicated, 50 lb bags, Recall # V-124-6;

e) Tucker Milling, LLC #31120, Game Bird Breeder, 50 lb bags, Recall # V-125-6;

f) Tucker Milling, LLC #30230, 30 % Turkey Starter, 50 lb bags, Recall # V-126-6;

g) Tucker Milling, LLC #30116, TM Broiler Finisher, 50 lb bags, Recall # V-127-6

CODE All products manufactured from 02/01/2005 until 06/20/2006 RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER Recalling Firm: Tucker Milling LLC, Guntersville, AL, by telephone and visit on June 20, 2006, and by letter on June 23, 2006. Manufacturer: H. J. Baker and Brothers Inc., Stamford, CT. Firm initiated recall is ongoing.

REASON Poultry and fish feeds which were possibly contaminated with ruminant based protein were not labeled as "Do not feed to ruminants".

VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE 7,541-50 lb bags

DISTRIBUTION AL, GA, MS, and TN

END OF ENFORCEMENT REPORT FOR AUGUST 9, 2006

###

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ENFORCE/2006/ENF00964.html

Subject: MAD COW FEED RECALL AL AND FL VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE 125 TONS Products manufactured from 02/01/2005 until 06/06/2006

Date: August 6, 2006 at 6:16 pm PST PRODUCT

a) CO-OP 32% Sinking Catfish, Recall # V-100-6;

b) Performance Sheep Pell W/Decox/A/N, medicated, net wt. 50 lbs, Recall # V-101-6;

c) Pro 40% Swine Conc Meal -- 50 lb, Recall # V-102-6;

d) CO-OP 32% Sinking Catfish Food Medicated, Recall # V-103-6;

e) "Big Jim's" BBB Deer Ration, Big Buck Blend, Recall # V-104-6;

f) CO-OP 40% Hog Supplement Medicated Pelleted, Tylosin 100 grams/ton, 50 lb. bag, Recall # V-105-6;

g) Pig Starter Pell II, 18% W/MCDX Medicated 282020, Carbadox -- 0.0055%, Recall # V-106-6;

h) CO-OP STARTER-GROWER CRUMBLES, Complete Feed for Chickens from Hatch to 20 Weeks, Medicated, Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate, 25 and 50 Lbs, Recall # V-107-6;

i) CO-OP LAYING PELLETS, Complete Feed for Laying Chickens, Recall # 108-6;

j) CO-OP LAYING CRUMBLES, Recall # V-109-6;

k) CO-OP QUAIL FLIGHT CONDITIONER MEDICATED, net wt 50 Lbs, Recall # V-110-6;

l) CO-OP QUAIL STARTER MEDICATED, Net Wt. 50 Lbs, Recall # V-111-6;

m) CO-OP QUAIL GROWER MEDICATED, 50 Lbs, Recall # V-112-6 CODE

Product manufactured from 02/01/2005 until 06/06/2006

RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Inc., Decatur, AL, by telephone, fax, email and visit on June 9, 2006. FDA initiated recall is complete.

REASON Animal and fish feeds which were possibly contaminated with ruminant based protein not labeled as "Do not feed to ruminants".

VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE 125 tons

DISTRIBUTION AL and FL

END OF ENFORCEMENT REPORT FOR AUGUST 2, 2006

###

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/enforce/2006/ENF00963.html

MAD COW FEED RECALL USA EQUALS 10,878.06 TONS NATIONWIDE Sun Jul 16, 2006 09:22 71.248.128.67

RECALLS AND FIELD CORRECTIONS: VETERINARY MEDICINE -- CLASS II

______________________________

PRODUCT

a) PRO-LAK, bulk weight, Protein Concentrate for Lactating Dairy Animals, Recall # V-079-6;

b) ProAmino II, FOR PREFRESH AND LACTATING COWS, net weight 50lb (22.6 kg), Recall # V-080-6;

c) PRO-PAK, MARINE & ANIMAL PROTEIN CONCENTRATE FOR USE IN ANIMAL FEED, Recall # V-081-6;

d) Feather Meal, Recall # V-082-6 CODE

a) Bulk

b) None

c) Bulk

d) Bulk

RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER H. J. Baker & Bro., Inc., Albertville, AL, by telephone on June 15, 2006 and by press release on June 16, 2006. Firm initiated recall is ongoing.

REASON

Possible contamination of animal feeds with ruminent derived meat and bone meal.

VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE 10,878.06 tons

DISTRIBUTION Nationwide

END OF ENFORCEMENT REPORT FOR July 12, 2006

###

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/enforce/2006/ENF00960.html

10,000,000+ LBS. of PROHIBITED BANNED MAD COW FEED I.E. BLOOD LACED MBM IN COMMERCE USA 2007

Date: March 21, 2007 at 2:27 pm PST

RECALLS AND FIELD CORRECTIONS: VETERINARY MEDICINES -- CLASS II

___________________________________

PRODUCT

Bulk cattle feed made with recalled Darling's 85% Blood Meal, Flash Dried, Recall # V-024-2007

CODE

Cattle feed delivered between 01/12/2007 and 01/26/2007

RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER

Pfeiffer, Arno, Inc, Greenbush, WI. by conversation on February 5, 2007.

Firm initiated recall is ongoing.

REASON

Blood meal used to make cattle feed was recalled because it was cross- contaminated with prohibited bovine meat and bone meal that had been manufactured on common equipment and labeling did not bear cautionary BSE statement.

VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE

42,090 lbs.

DISTRIBUTION

___________________________________

PRODUCT

Custom dairy premix products: MNM ALL PURPOSE Pellet, HILLSIDE/CDL Prot- Buffer Meal, LEE, M.-CLOSE UP PX Pellet, HIGH DESERT/ GHC LACT Meal, TATARKA, M CUST PROT Meal, SUNRIDGE/CDL PROTEIN Blend, LOURENZO, K PVM DAIRY Meal, DOUBLE B DAIRY/GHC LAC Mineral, WEST PIONT/GHC CLOSEUP Mineral, WEST POINT/GHC LACT Meal, JENKS, J/COMPASS PROTEIN Meal, COPPINI - 8# SPECIAL DAIRY Mix, GULICK, L-LACT Meal (Bulk), TRIPLE J - PROTEIN/LACTATION, ROCK CREEK/GHC MILK Mineral, BETTENCOURT/GHC S.SIDE MK-MN, BETTENCOURT #1/GHC MILK MINR, V&C DAIRY/GHC LACT Meal, VEENSTRA, F/GHC LACT Meal, SMUTNY, A- BYPASS ML W/SMARTA, Recall # V-025-2007

CODE

The firm does not utilize a code - only shipping documentation with commodity and weights identified.

RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER

Rangen, Inc, Buhl, ID, by letters on February 13 and 14, 2007. Firm initiated recall is complete.

REASON

Products manufactured from bulk feed containing blood meal that was cross contaminated with prohibited meat and bone meal and the labeling did not bear cautionary BSE statement.

VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE

9,997,976 lbs.

DISTRIBUTION

ID and NV

END OF ENFORCEMENT REPORT FOR MARCH 21, 2007

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/EnforcementReports/2007/ucm120446.htm

Saturday, August 14, 2010

BSE Case Associated with Prion Protein Gene Mutation (g-h-BSEalabama) and VPSPr PRIONPATHY

(see mad cow feed in COMMERCE IN ALABAMA...TSS)

http://prionpathy.blogspot.com/2010/08/bse-case-associated-with-prion-protein.html

2009 UPDATE ON ALABAMA AND TEXAS MAD COWS 2005 and 2006

http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2006/08/bse-atypical-texas-and-alabama-update.html

***> Wednesday, January 23, 2019

***> CFIA SFCR Guidance on Specified risk material (SRM) came into force on January 15, 2019 <***

https://specifiedriskmaterial.blogspot.com/2019/01/cfia-sfcr-guidance-on-specified-risk.html

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2021

Exploration of genetic factors resulting in abnormal disease in cattle experimentally challenged with bovine spongiform encephalopathy

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2021/01/exploration-of-genetic-factors.html

*** Singeltary reply ; Molecular, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics of BSE in Canada Singeltary reply ;

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comment?id=10.1371/annotation/4f9be886-69fe-4c7c-922b-85b0ecbe6d53

IBNC Tauopathy or TSE Prion disease, it appears, no one is sure

Terry S. Singeltary Sr., 03 Jul 2015 at 16:53 GMT

PLOS ONE Journal

IBNC Tauopathy or TSE Prion disease, it appears, no one is sure

Terry S. Singeltary Sr., 03 Jul 2015 at 16:53 GMT

***however in 1 C-type challenged animal, Prion 2015 Poster Abstracts S67 PrPsc was not detected using rapid tests for BSE.

***Subsequent testing resulted in the detection of pathologic lesion in unusual brain location and PrPsc detection by PMCA only.

*** IBNC Tauopathy or TSE Prion disease, it appears, no one is sure ***

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comment?id=10.1371/annotation/5adef4ac-a7e4-46a4-8806-c8533d5c862c

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020

Idiopathic Brainstem Neuronal Chromatolysis IBNC BSE TSE Prion a Review 2020

https://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2020/12/idiopathic-brainstem-neuronal.html

***Our transmission study demonstrates that CH 1641-like scrapie is likely to be more virulent than classical scrapie in cattle.

In the US, scrapie is reported primarily in sheep homozygous for 136A/171Q (AAQQ) and the disease phenotype is similar to that seen with experimental strain CH1641.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=182469

***Our transmission study demonstrates that CH 1641-like scrapie is likely to be more virulent than classical scrapie in cattle.

P-088 Transmission of experimental CH1641-like scrapie to bovine PrP overexpression mice

Kohtaro Miyazawa1, Kentaro Masujin1, Hiroyuki Okada1, Yuichi Matsuura1, Takashi Yokoyama2

1Influenza and Prion Disease Research Center, National Institute of Animal Health, NARO, Japan; 2Department of Planning and General Administration, National Institute of Animal Health, NARO

Introduction: Scrapie is a prion disease in sheep and goats. CH1641-lke scrapie is characterized by a lower molecular mass of the unglycosylated form of abnormal prion protein (PrpSc) compared to that of classical scrapie. It is worthy of attention because of the biochemical similarities of the Prpsc from CH1641-like and BSE affected sheep. We have reported that experimental CH1641-like scrapie is transmissible to bovine PrP overexpression (TgBoPrP) mice (Yokoyama et al. 2010). We report here the further details of this transmission study and compare the biological and biochemical properties to those of classical scrapie affected TgBoPrP mice.

Methods: The details of sheep brain homogenates used in this study are described in our previous report (Yokoyama et al. 2010). TgBoPrP mice were intracerebrally inoculated with a 10% brain homogenate of each scrapie strain. The brains of mice were subjected to histopathological and biochemical analyses.

Results: Prpsc banding pattern of CH1641-like scrapie affected TgBoPrP mice was similar to that of classical scrapie affected mice. Mean survival period of CH1641-like scrapie affected TgBoPrP mice was 170 days at the 3rd passage and it was significantly shorter than that of classical scrapie affected mice (439 days). Lesion profiles and Prpsc distributions in the brains also differed between CH1641-like and classical scrapie affected mice.

Conclusion: We succeeded in stable transmission of CH1641-like scrapie to TgBoPrP mice. Our transmission study demonstrates that CH 1641-like scrapie is likely to be more virulent than classical scrapie in cattle.

snip...

In the US, scrapie is reported primarily in sheep homozygous for 136A/171Q (AAQQ) and the disease phenotype is similar to that seen with experimental strain CH1641.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=182469

CH1641

http://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2019/11/review-update-on-classical-and-atypical.html

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020

Bovine adapted transmissible mink encephalopathy is similar to L-BSE after passage through sheep with the VRQ/VRQ genotype but not VRQ/ARQ

https://transmissible-mink-encephalopathy.blogspot.com/2020/10/bovine-adapted-transmissible-mink.html

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2019

The agent of transmissible mink encephalopathy passaged in sheep is similar to BSE-L

https://transmissible-mink-encephalopathy.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-agent-of-transmissible-mink.html

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

The emergence of classical BSE from atypical/ Nor98 scrapie

https://nor-98.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-emergence-of-classical-bse-from.html

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020

The European Union summary report on surveillance for the presence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) in 2019 First published 17 November 2020

https://efsaopinionbseanimalprotein.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-european-union-summary-report-on.html

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020

EFSA Annual report of the Scientific Network on BSE-TSE 2020 Singeltary Submission

https://efsaopinionbseanimalprotein.blogspot.com/2020/10/efsa-annual-report-of-scientific.html

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

EFSA Evaluation of public and animal health risks in case of a delayed post-mortem inspection in ungulates EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) ADOPTED: 21 October 2020

i wonder if a 7 month delay on a suspect BSE case in Texas is too long, on a 48 hour turnaround, asking for a friend???

https://efsaopinionbseanimalprotein.blogspot.com/2020/12/efsa-evaluation-of-public-and-animal.html

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020

Cattle Meat and Offal Imported from the United States of America, Canada and Ireland to Japan (Prions) Food Safety Commission of Japan

https://animalhealthreportpriontse.blogspot.com/2020/10/cattle-meat-and-offal-imported-from.html

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

ISO's Updated 22442 Animal Tissue Standards — What Changed? TSE Prion!

https://animalhealthreportpriontse.blogspot.com/2020/09/isos-updated-22442-animal-tissue.html

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020

Why is USDA "only" BSE TSE Prion testing 25,000 samples a year?

https://animalhealthreportpriontse.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-is-usda-only-bse-tse-prion-testing.html

Evidence That Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy Results from Feeding Infected Cattle Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME.

snip...

The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle...

https://web.archive.org/web/20090506002258/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20090506001031/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09a/tab01.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20090506024922/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1987/06/10004001.pdf

Sunday, January 10, 2021

APHIS Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [Docket No. APHIS-2018-0087] Singeltary Submission June 17, 2019

APHIS Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [Docket No. APHIS-2018-0087] Singeltary Submission

Greetings APHIS et al,

https://beta.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2018-0087-0002

https://downloads.regulations.gov/APHIS-2018-0087-0002/attachment_1.pdf

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2019/06/aphis-concurrence-with-oie-risk.html

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2020 IMPACT REPORT BSE TSE Prion Testing and Surveillance MIA

https://animalhealthreportpriontse.blogspot.com/2021/03/usda-animal-and-plant-health-inspection.html

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

EFSA Evaluation of public and animal health risks in case of a delayed post-mortem inspection in ungulates EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) ADOPTED: 21 October 2020

i wonder if a 7 month delay on a suspect BSE case in Texas is too long, on a 48 hour turnaround, asking for a friend???

https://efsaopinionbseanimalprotein.blogspot.com/2020/12/efsa-evaluation-of-public-and-animal.html

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

***> REPORT OF THE MEETING OF THE OIE SCIENTIFIC COMMISSION FOR ANIMAL DISEASES Paris, 9–13 September 2019 BSE, TSE, PRION

see updated concerns with atypical BSE from feed and zoonosis...terry

https://animalhealthreportpriontse.blogspot.com/2020/11/report-of-meeting-of-oie-scientific.html

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020

BSE research project final report 2005 to 2008 SE1796 SID5

http://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2020/12/bse-research-project-final-report-2005.html

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2019/09/fda-reports-on-vfd-compliance.html

***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.***

Even if the prevailing view is that sporadic CJD is due to the spontaneous formation of CJD prions, it remains possible that its apparent sporadic nature may, at least in part, result from our limited capacity to identify an environmental origin.

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep11573

O.05: Transmission of prions to primates after extended silent incubation periods: Implications for BSE and scrapie risk assessment in human populations

Emmanuel Comoy, Jacqueline Mikol, Valerie Durand, Sophie Luccantoni, Evelyne Correia, Nathalie Lescoutra, Capucine Dehen, and Jean-Philippe Deslys Atomic Energy Commission; Fontenay-aux-Roses, France

Prion diseases (PD) are the unique neurodegenerative proteinopathies reputed to be transmissible under field conditions since decades. The transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to humans evidenced that an animal PD might be zoonotic under appropriate conditions. Contrarily, in the absence of obvious (epidemiological or experimental) elements supporting a transmission or genetic predispositions, PD, like the other proteinopathies, are reputed to occur spontaneously (atpical animal prion strains, sporadic CJD summing 80% of human prion cases).

Non-human primate models provided the first evidences supporting the transmissibiity of human prion strains and the zoonotic potential of BSE. Among them, cynomolgus macaques brought major information for BSE risk assessment for human health (Chen, 2014), according to their phylogenetic proximity to humans and extended lifetime. We used this model to assess the zoonotic potential of other animal PD from bovine, ovine and cervid origins even after very long silent incubation periods.

*** We recently observed the direct transmission of a natural classical scrapie isolate to macaque after a 10-year silent incubation period,

***with features similar to some reported for human cases of sporadic CJD, albeit requiring fourfold long incubation than BSE. Scrapie, as recently evoked in humanized mice (Cassard, 2014),

***is the third potentially zoonotic PD (with BSE and L-type BSE),

***thus questioning the origin of human sporadic cases.

We will present an updated panorama of our different transmission studies and discuss the implications of such extended incubation periods on risk assessment of animal PD for human health.

===============

***thus questioning the origin of human sporadic cases***

===============

***our findings suggest that possible transmission risk of H-type BSE to sheep and human. Bioassay will be required to determine whether the PMCA products are infectious to these animals.

==============

https://prion2015.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/prion2015abstracts.pdf

***Transmission data also revealed that several scrapie prions propagate in HuPrP-Tg mice with efﬁciency comparable to that of cattle BSE. While the efﬁciency of transmission at primary passage was low, subsequent passages resulted in a highly virulent prion disease in both Met129 and Val129 mice.

***Transmission of the different scrapie isolates in these mice leads to the emergence of prion strain phenotypes that showed similar characteristics to those displayed by MM1 or VV2 sCJD prion.

***These results demonstrate that scrapie prions have a zoonotic potential and raise new questions about the possible link between animal and human prions.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19336896.2016.1163048?journalCode=kprn20

PRION 2016 TOKYO

Saturday, April 23, 2016

SCRAPIE WS-01: Prion diseases in animals and zoonotic potential 2016

Prion. 10:S15-S21. 2016 ISSN: 1933-6896 printl 1933-690X online

Taylor & Francis

Prion 2016 Animal Prion Disease Workshop Abstracts

WS-01: Prion diseases in animals and zoonotic potential

Transmission of the different scrapie isolates in these mice leads to the emergence of prion strain phenotypes that showed similar characteristics to those displayed by MM1 or VV2 sCJD prion.

These results demonstrate that scrapie prions have a zoonotic potential and raise new questions about the possible link between animal and human prions.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19336896.2016.1163048?journalCode=kprn20

Title: Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent incubation period)

*** In complement to the recent demonstration that humanized mice are susceptible to scrapie, we report here the first observation of direct transmission of a natural classical scrapie isolate to a macaque after a 10-year incubation period. Neuropathologic examination revealed all of the features of a prion disease: spongiform change, neuronal loss, and accumulation of PrPres throughout the CNS.

*** This observation strengthens the questioning of the harmlessness of scrapie to humans, at a time when protective measures for human and animal health are being dismantled and reduced as c-BSE is considered controlled and being eradicated.

*** Our results underscore the importance of precautionary and protective measures and the necessity for long-term experimental transmission studies to assess the zoonotic potential of other animal prion strains.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=313160

1: J Infect Dis 1980 Aug;142(2):205-8

Oral transmission of kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and scrapie to nonhuman primates.

Gibbs CJ Jr, Amyx HL, Bacote A, Masters CL, Gajdusek DC.

Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease of humans and scrapie disease of sheep and goats were transmitted to squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) that were exposed to the infectious agents only by their nonforced consumption of known infectious tissues. The asymptomatic incubation period in the one monkey exposed to the virus of kuru was 36 months; that in the two monkeys exposed to the virus of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was 23 and 27 months, respectively; and that in the two monkeys exposed to the virus of scrapie was 25 and 32 months, respectively. Careful physical examination of the buccal cavities of all of the monkeys failed to reveal signs or oral lesions. One additional monkey similarly exposed to kuru has remained asymptomatic during the 39 months that it has been under observation.

snip...

The successful transmission of kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and scrapie by natural feeding to squirrel monkeys that we have reported provides further grounds for concern that scrapie-infected meat may occasionally give rise in humans to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

PMID: 6997404

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6997404&dopt=Abstract

Recently the question has again been brought up as to whether scrapie is transmissible to man. This has followed reports that the disease has been transmitted to primates. One particularly lurid speculation (Gajdusek 1977) conjectures that the agents of scrapie, kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and transmissible encephalopathy of mink are varieties of a single "virus". The U.S. Department of Agriculture concluded that it could "no longer justify or permit scrapie-blood line and scrapie-exposed sheep and goats to be processed for human or animal food at slaughter or rendering plants" (ARC 84/77)" The problem is emphasised by the finding that some strains of scrapie produce lesions identical to the once which characterise the human dementias"

Whether true or not. the hypothesis that these agents might be transmissible to man raises two considerations. First, the safety of laboratory personnel requires prompt attention. Second, action such as the "scorched meat" policy of USDA makes the solution of the acrapie problem urgent if the sheep industry is not to suffer grievously.

snip...

76/10.12/4.6

http://web.archive.org/web/20010305223125/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1976/10/12004001.pdf

Nature. 1972 Mar 10;236(5341):73-4.

Transmission of scrapie to the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis).

Gibbs CJ Jr, Gajdusek DC.

Nature 236, 73 - 74 (10 March 1972); doi:10.1038/236073a0

Transmission of Scrapie to the Cynomolgus Monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

C. J. GIBBS jun. & D. C. GAJDUSEK

National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

SCRAPIE has been transmitted to the cynomolgus, or crab-eating, monkey (Macaca fascicularis) with an incubation period of more than 5 yr from the time of intracerebral inoculation of scrapie-infected mouse brain. The animal developed a chronic central nervous system degeneration, with ataxia, tremor and myoclonus with associated severe scrapie-like pathology of intensive astroglial hypertrophy and proliferation, neuronal vacuolation and status spongiosus of grey matter. The strain of scrapie virus used was the eighth passage in Swiss mice (NIH) of a Compton strain of scrapie obtained as ninth intracerebral passage of the agent in goat brain, from Dr R. L. Chandler (ARC, Compton, Berkshire).

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v236/n5341/abs/236073a0.html

http://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2010/04/scrapie-and-atypical-scrapie.html

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

IN CONFIDENCE

SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION TO CHIMPANZEES

IN CONFIDENCE

http://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2011/02/in-confidence-scrapie-transmission-to.html

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2020 IMPACT REPORT BSE TSE Prion Testing and Surveillance MIA

https://animalhealthreportpriontse.blogspot.com/2021/03/usda-animal-and-plant-health-inspection.html

MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021

BSE can propagate in sheep co‑infected or pre‑infected with scrapie

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2021/06/bse-can-propagate-in-sheep-coinfected.html

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020

Autoclave treatment of the classical scrapie agent US No. 13-7 and experimental inoculation to susceptible VRQ/ARQ sheep via the oral route results in decreased transmission efficiency

https://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2020/12/autoclave-treatment-of-classical.html

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

***> Incomplete inactivation of atypical scrapie following recommended autoclave decontamination procedures

USDA HERE'S YOUR SIGN!

https://nor-98.blogspot.com/2019/05/incomplete-inactivation-of-atypical.html

TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 2021

***> Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: the effect of oral exposure dose on attack rate and incubation period in cattle

https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2021/06/bovine-spongiform-encephalopathy-effect.html

***> AS is considered more likely (subjective probability range 50–66%) that AS is a non-contagious, rather than a contagious, disease.

ATYPICAL SCRAPIE ROUGHLY HAS 50 50 CHANCE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE IS CONTAGIOUS, AS NON-CONTAGIOUS, TAKE YOUR PICK, BUT I SAID IT LONG AGO WHEN USDA OIE ET AL MADE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE A LEGAL TRADING COMODITY, I SAID YOUR PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID, and it's called in Texas, TEXAS TSE PRION HOLDEM POKER, WHO'S ALL IN $$$

THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021

EFSA Scientific report on the analysis of the 2‐year compulsory intensified monitoring of atypical scrapie

https://efsaopinionbseanimalprotein.blogspot.com/2021/07/efsa-scientific-report-on-analysis-of.html

NOW, in 1979, it was proven that indeed U.S. scrapie strain that was transmitted to U.S. cattle, did NOT produce a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) like the U.K. B.S.E., but a TSE unlike the U.K. B.S.E. SO what does all this tell us? it tells me that there is a possibility that a strain of mad cow disease was circulating in the U.S.A. long, long, before originally thought, only left to be ignored, while incubating and spreading.

3.57 The experiment which might have determined whether BSE and scrapie were caused by the same agent (ie, the feeding of natural scrapie to cattle) was never undertaken in the UK. It was, however, performed in the USA in 1979, when it was shown that cattle inoculated with the scrapie agent endemic in the flock of Suffolk sheep at the United States Department of Agriculture in Mission, Texas, developed a TSE quite unlike BSE.339 The findings of the initial transmission, though not of the clinical or neurohistological examination, were communicated in October 1988 to Dr Watson, Director of the CVL, following a visit by Dr Wrathall, one of the project leaders in the Pathology Department of the CVL, to the United States Department of Agriculture.340 The results were not published at this point, since the attempted transmission to mice from the experimental cow brain had been inconclusive. The results of the clinical and histological differences between scrapie-affected sheep and cattle were published in 1995. Similar studies in which cattle were inoculated intracerebrally with scrapie inocula derived from a number of scrapie-affected sheep of different breeds and from different States, were carried out at the US National Animal Disease Centre.341 The results, published in 1994, showed that this source of scrapie agent, though pathogenic for cattle, did not produce the same clinical signs of brain lesions characteristic of BSE.

3.58 There are several possible reasons why the experiment was not performed in the UK. It had been recommended by Sir Richard Southwood (Chairman of the Working Party on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) in his letter to the Permanent Secretary of MAFF, Mr (now Sir) Derek Andrews, on 21 June 1988,342 though it was not specifically recommended in the Working Party Report or indeed in the Tyrrell Committee Report (details of the Southwood Working Party and the Tyrell Committee can be found in vol. 4: The Southwood Working Party, 1988–89 and vol. 11: Scientists after Southwood respectively). The direct inoculation of scrapie into calves was given low priority, because of its high cost and because it was known that it had already taken place in the USA.343 It was also felt that the results of such an experiment would be hard to interpret. While a negative result would be informative, a positive result would need to demonstrate that when scrapie was transmitted to cattle, the disease which developed in cattle was the same as BSE.344 Given the large number of strains of scrapie and the possibility that BSE was one of them, it would be necessary to transmit every scrapie strain to cattle separately, to test the hypothesis properly. Such an experiment would be expensive. Secondly, as measures to control the epidemic took hold, the need for the experiment from the policy viewpoint was not considered so urgent. It was felt that the results would be mainly of academic interest.345

3.59 Nevertheless, from the first demonstration of transmissibility of BSE in 1988, the possibility of differences in the transmission properties of BSE and scrapie was clear. Scrapie was transmissible to hamsters, but by 1988 attempts to transmit BSE to hamsters had failed. Subsequent findings increased that possibility.

337 Fraser, H., Bruce, M., Chree, A., McConnell, I. and Wells, G. (1992) Transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Scrapie to Mice, Journal of General Virology, 73, 1891–7; Bruce, M., Chree, A., McConnell, I., Foster, J., Pearson, G. and Fraser, H. (1994) Transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Scrapie to Mice: Strain Variation and the Species Barrier, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences, 343, 405–11 338 Bruce, M., Will, R., Ironside, J., McConell, I., Drummond, D., Suttie, A., McCordie, L., Chree, A., Hope, J., Birkett, C., Cousens, S., Fraser, H. and Bostock, C. (1997) Transmissions to Mice Indicate that ‘New Variant’ CJD is Caused by the BSE Agent, Nature, 389, 498–501 339 Clark, W., Hourrigan, J. and Hadlow, W. (1995) Encephalopathy in Cattle Experimentally Infected with the Scrapie Agent, American Journal of Veterinary Research, 56, 606–12 340 YB88/10.00/1.1 341 Cutlip, R., Miller, J., Race, R., Jenny, A., Katz, J., Lehmkuhl, H., Debey, B. and Robinson, M. (1994) Intracerebral Transmission of Scrapie to Cattle, Journal of Infectious Diseases, 169, 814–20 342 YB88/6.21/1.2 343 YB88/11.17/2.4

https://web.archive.org/web/20090505200149/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/pdf/volume2/Chapter3.pdf

http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2008/08/bovine-spongiform-encephalopathy-mad.html

Appendix I VISIT TO USA - OR A E WRATHALL — INFO ON BSE AND SCRAPIE

Dr Clark lately of the scrapie Research Unit, Mission Texas has

successfully transmitted ovine and caprine scrapie to cattle. The

experimental results have not been published but there are plans to do

this. This work was initiated in 1978. A summary of it is:-

Expt A 6 Her x Jer calves born in 1978 were inoculated as follows with

a 2nd Suffolk scrapie passage:-

i/c 1ml; i/m, 5ml; s/c 5ml; oral 30ml.

1/6 went down after 48 months with a scrapie/BSE-like disease.

Expt B 6 Her or Jer or HxJ calves were inoculated with angora Goat

virus 2/6 went down similarly after 36 months.

Expt C Mice inoculated from brains of calves/cattle in expts A & B were resistant, only 1/20 going down with scrapie and this was the reason given for not publishing.

Diagnosis in A, B, C was by histopath. No reports on SAF were given.

Dr Warren Foote indicated success so far in eliminating scrapie in offspring from experimentally— (and naturally) infected sheep by ET. He had found difficulty in obtaining embryos from naturally infected sheep (cf SPA).

Prof. A Robertson gave a brief accout of BSE. The us approach was to

accord it a very low profile indeed. Dr A Thiermann showed the picture in the "Independent" with cattle being incinerated and thought this was a fanatical incident to be avoided in the US at all costs.

BSE was not reported in USA.

4. Scrapie incidents (ie affected flocks) have shown a dramatic increase since 1978. In 1953 when the National Control scheme was started there were 10-14 incidents, in 1978 - 1 and in 1988 so far 60.

5. Scrapie agent was reported to have been isolated from a solitary fetus.

6. A western blotting diagnostic technique (? on PrP) shows some promise.

7. Results of a questionnaire sent to 33 states on the subject of the national sheep scrapie programme survey indicated

17/33 wished to drop it

6/33 wished to develop it

8/33 had few sheep and were neutral

Information obtained from Dr Wrathall‘s notes of a meeting of the u.s.

Animal Health Association at Little Rock, Arkansas Nov. 1988.

In Confidence - Perceptions of unconventional slow virus diseases of animals in the USA - APRIL-MAY 1989 - G A H Wells

3. Prof. A. Robertson gave a brief account of BSE. The US approach was to accord it a very low profile indeed. Dr. A Thiermann showed the picture in the ''Independent'' with cattle being incinerated and thought this was a fanatical incident to be avoided in the US at all costs. ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20060307063531/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m11b/tab01.pdf

VISIT TO USA - DR AE WRATHALL - INFO ON BSE AND SCRAPIE

1. Dr. Clark lately of the Scrapie Research Unit, Mission Texas has successfully transmitted ovine & caprine Scrapie to cattle. The experimental results have not been published but there are plans to do this. This work was initiated in 1978. A summary of it is;

snip...see handwritten notes from this here;

http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/10/00001001.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20090505234344/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/10/00001001.pdf

IN CONFIDENCE

Perceptions of an unconventional slow virus diseases of animals in the U.S.A. G A H Wells

Report of a Visit to the USA April-May 1989

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080102193705/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m11b/tab01.pdf

http://bseusa.blogspot.com/2018/

Thursday, June 09, 2016

Scrapie Field Trial Experiments Mission, Texas, The Moore Air Force Base Scrapie Experiment 1964

How Did CWD Get Way Down In Medina County, Texas?

Confucius ponders...

Could the Scrapie experiments back around 1964 at Moore Air Force near Mission, Texas, could this area have been ground zero for CWD TSE Prion (besides the CWD cases that have waltzed across the Texas, New Mexico border near WSMR Trans Pecos region since around 2001)?

Epidemiology of Scrapie in the United States 1977

snip...

Scrapie Field Trial Experiments Mission, Texas A Scrapie Field Trial was developed at Mission, Texas, to provide additional information for the eradication program on the epidemiology of natural scrapie. The Mission Field Trial Station is located on 450 acres of pastureland, part of the former Moore Air Force Base, near Mission, Texas.

It was designed to bring previously exposed, and later also unexposed, sheep or goats to the Station and maintain and breed them under close observation for extended periods to determine which animals would develop scrapie and define more closely the natural spread and other epidemiological aspects of the disease.

The 547 previously exposed sheep brought to the Mission Station beginning in 1964 were of the Cheviot, Hampshire, Montadale, or Suffolk breeds.

They were purchased as field outbreaks occurred, and represented 21 bloodlines in which scrapie had been diagnosed.

Upon arrival at the Station, the sheep were maintained on pasture, with supplemental feeding as necessary.

The station was divided into 2 areas:

(1) a series of pastures and-pens occupied by male animals only, and

(2) a series of pastures and pens occupied by females and young progeny of both sexes.

... snip...

see full text ;

http://web.archive.org/web/20030513212324/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m08b/tab64.pdf

Thursday, June 09, 2016

Scrapie Field Trial Experiments Mission, Texas, The Moore Air Force Base Scrapie TSE Prion Experiment 1964 How Did CWD Get Way Down In Medina County, Texas?

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-did-cwd-get-way-down-in-medina.html

http://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2016/06/scrapie-field-trial-experiments-mission.html

Second passage of a US scrapie agent in cattle

R.C. Cutlip, J.M. Miller and H.D. Lehmkuhl

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa, USA

Received 10 September 1996; accepted 31 July 1997. Available online 25 May 2006.

Summary

Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy are similar chronic neurodegenerative diseases of sheep and cattle. An earlier study showed that, on first passage in cattle, a US scrapie agent caused an encephalopathy that was distinct from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The present report describes a second passage in cattle, carried out because diseases caused by the spongiform encephalopathy agents often change in character with additional passages in abnormal hosts. For this work, young calves were inoculated intracerebrally with a pooled suspension of brain from cattle that had died of encephalopathy after experimental inoculation with brain from scrapie-affected sheep. The second passage disease was essentially identical with the first passage disease, as judged by clinical signs, histopathological findings and distribution of "prion protein scrapie" (PrPsc). This represents additional evidence to suggest that the US sheep scrapie agent tested is incapable of causing BSE in cattle.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WHW-4K1V3NT-9&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=01b6b1aef2a83ea797b17fc4305a4752

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020

Cattle Meat and Offal Imported from the United States of America, Canada and Ireland to Japan (Prions) Food Safety Commission of Japan

https://animalhealthreportpriontse.blogspot.com/2020/10/cattle-meat-and-offal-imported-from.html

SEE HADLOW AND SCRAPIE !

http://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2015/08/doctor-william-j-hadlow.html

http://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2016/04/scrapie-ws-01-prion-diseases-in-animals.html

P03.141

Aspects of the Cerebellar Neuropathology in Nor98

Gavier-Widén, D1; Benestad, SL2; Ottander, L1; Westergren, E1 1National Veterinary Insitute, Sweden; 2National Veterinary Institute,

Norway Nor98 is a prion disease of old sheep and goats. This atypical form of scrapie was first described in Norway in 1998. Several features of Nor98 were shown to be different from classical scrapie including the distribution of disease associated prion protein (PrPd) accumulation in the brain. The cerebellum is generally the most affected brain area in Nor98. The study here presented aimed at adding information on the neuropathology in the cerebellum of Nor98 naturally affected sheep of various genotypes in Sweden and Norway. A panel of histochemical and immunohistochemical (IHC) stainings such as IHC for PrPd, synaptophysin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, amyloid, and cell markers for phagocytic cells were conducted. The type of histological lesions and tissue reactions were evaluated. The types of PrPd deposition were characterized. The cerebellar cortex was regularly affected, even though there was a variation in the severity of the lesions from case to case. Neuropil vacuolation was more marked in the molecular layer, but affected also the granular cell layer. There was a loss of granule cells. Punctate deposition of PrPd was characteristic. It was morphologically and in distribution identical with that of synaptophysin, suggesting that PrPd accumulates in the synaptic structures. PrPd was also observed in the granule cell layer and in the white matter. The pathology features of Nor98 in the cerebellum of the affected sheep showed similarities with those of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

***The pathology features of Nor98 in the cerebellum of the affected sheep showed similarities with those of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion%20Book%20of%20Abstracts.pdf ;

PR-26

NOR98 SHOWS MOLECULAR FEATURES REMINISCENT OF GSS

R. Nonno1, E. Esposito1, G. Vaccari1, E. Bandino2, M. Conte1, B. Chiappini1, S. Marcon1, M. Di Bari1, S.L. Benestad3, U. Agrimi1 1 Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy (romolo.nonno@iss.it); 2 Istituto Zooprofilattico della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy; 3 National Veterinary Institute, Department of Pathology, Oslo, Norway

Molecular variants of PrPSc are being increasingly investigated in sheep scrapie and are generally referred to as "atypical" scrapie, as opposed to "classical scrapie". Among the atypical group, Nor98 seems to be the best identified. We studied the molecular properties of Italian and Norwegian Nor98 samples by WB analysis of brain homogenates, either untreated, digested with different concentrations of proteinase K, or subjected to enzymatic deglycosylation. The identity of PrP fragments was inferred by means of antibodies spanning the full PrP sequence. We found that undigested brain homogenates contain a Nor98-specific PrP fragment migrating at 11 kDa (PrP11), truncated at both the C-terminus and the N-terminus, and not N-glycosylated. After mild PK digestion, Nor98 displayed full-length PrP (FL-PrP) and N-glycosylated C-terminal fragments (CTF), along with increased levels of PrP11. Proteinase K digestion curves (0,006-6,4 mg/ml) showed that FL-PrP and CTF are mainly digested above 0,01 mg/ml, while PrP11 is not entirely digested even at the highest concentrations, similarly to PrP27-30 associated with classical scrapie. Above 0,2 mg/ml PK, most Nor98 samples showed only PrP11 and a fragment of 17 kDa with the same properties of PrP11, that was tentatively identified as a dimer of PrP11. Detergent solubility studies showed that PrP11 is insoluble in 2% sodium laurylsorcosine and is mainly produced from detergentsoluble, full-length PrPSc. Furthermore, among Italian scrapie isolates, we found that a sample with molecular and pathological properties consistent with Nor98 showed plaque-like deposits of PrPSc in the thalamus when the brain was analysed by PrPSc immunohistochemistry. Taken together, our results show that the distinctive pathological feature of Nor98 is a PrP fragment spanning amino acids ~ 90-155. This fragment is produced by successive N-terminal and C-terminal cleavages from a full-length and largely detergent-soluble PrPSc, is produced in vivo and is extremely resistant to PK digestion.

*** Intriguingly, these conclusions suggest that some pathological features of Nor98 are reminiscent of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease.

119

http://www.neuroprion.com/pdf_docs/conferences/prion2006/abstract_book.pdf ;

A newly identified type of scrapie agent can naturally infect sheep with resistant PrP genotypes

Annick Le Dur*,?, Vincent Béringue*,?, Olivier Andréoletti?, Fabienne Reine*, Thanh Lan Laï*, Thierry Baron§, Bjørn Bratberg¶, Jean-Luc Vilotte?, Pierre Sarradin**, Sylvie L. Benestad¶, and Hubert Laude*,? +Author Affiliations

*Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires and ?Génétique Biochimique et Cytogénétique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; ?Unité Mixte de Recherche, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Interactions Hôte Agent Pathogène, 31066 Toulouse, France; §Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments, Unité Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, 69364 Lyon, France; **Pathologie Infectieuse et Immunologie, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 37380 Nouzilly, France; and ¶Department of Pathology, National Veterinary Institute, 0033 Oslo, Norway

***Edited by Stanley B. Prusiner, University of California, San Francisco, CA (received for review March 21, 2005)

Abstract Scrapie in small ruminants belongs to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, a family of fatal neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and animals and can transmit within and between species by ingestion or inoculation. Conversion of the host-encoded prion protein (PrP), normal cellular PrP (PrPc), into a misfolded form, abnormal PrP (PrPSc), plays a key role in TSE transmission and pathogenesis. The intensified surveillance of scrapie in the European Union, together with the improvement of PrPSc detection techniques, has led to the discovery of a growing number of so-called atypical scrapie cases. These include clinical Nor98 cases first identified in Norwegian sheep on the basis of unusual pathological and PrPSc molecular features and "cases" that produced discordant responses in the rapid tests currently applied to the large-scale random screening of slaughtered or fallen animals. Worryingly, a substantial proportion of such cases involved sheep with PrP genotypes known until now to confer natural resistance to conventional scrapie. Here we report that both Nor98 and discordant cases, including three sheep homozygous for the resistant PrPARR allele (A136R154R171), efficiently transmitted the disease to transgenic mice expressing ovine PrP, and that they shared unique biological and biochemical features upon propagation in mice. *** These observations support the view that a truly infectious TSE agent, unrecognized until recently, infects sheep and goat flocks and may have important implications in terms of scrapie control and public health.

http://www.pnas.org/content/102/44/16031.abstract

Monday, December 1, 2008

When Atypical Scrapie cross species barriers

Authors

Andreoletti O., Herva M. H., Cassard H., Espinosa J. C., Lacroux C., Simon S., Padilla D., Benestad S. L., Lantier F., Schelcher F., Grassi J., Torres, J. M., UMR INRA ENVT 1225, Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Toulouse.France; ICISA-INlA, Madrid, Spain; CEA, IBiTec-5, DSV, CEA/Saclay, Gif sur Yvette cedex, France; National Veterinary Institute, Postboks 750 Sentrum, 0106 Oslo, Norway, INRA IASP, Centre INRA de Tours, 3738O Nouzilly, France.

Content

Atypical scrapie is a TSE occurring in small ruminants and harbouring peculiar clinical, epidemiological and biochemical properties. Currently this form of disease is identified in a large number of countries. In this study we report the transmission of an atypical scrapie isolate through different species barriers as modeled by transgenic mice (Tg) expressing different species PRP sequence.

The donor isolate was collected in 1995 in a French commercial sheep flock. inoculation into AHQ/AHQ sheep induced a disease which had all neuro-pathological and biochemical characteristics of atypical scrapie. Transmitted into Transgenic mice expressing either ovine or PrPc, the isolate retained all the described characteristics of atypical scrapie.

Surprisingly the TSE agent characteristics were dramatically different v/hen passaged into Tg bovine mice. The recovered TSE agent had biological and biochemical characteristics similar to those of atypical BSE L in the same mouse model. Moreover, whereas no other TSE agent than BSE were shown to transmit into Tg porcine mice, atypical scrapie was able to develop into this model, albeit with low attack rate on first passage.

Furthermore, after adaptation in the porcine mouse model this prion showed similar biological and biochemical characteristics than BSE adapted to this porcine mouse model. Altogether these data indicate.

(i) the unsuspected potential abilities of atypical scrapie to cross species barriers

(ii) the possible capacity of this agent to acquire new characteristics when crossing species barrier

These findings raise some interrogation on the concept of TSE strain and on the origin of the diversity of the TSE agents and could have consequences on field TSE control measures.

http://www.neuroprion.org/resources/pdf_docs/conferences/prion2008/abstract-book-prion2008.pdf ;

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

Radical Change in Zoonotic Abilities of Atypical BSE Prion Strains as Evidenced by Crossing of Sheep Species Barrier in Transgenic Mice

Atypical BSE prions showed a modification in their zoonotic ability after adaptation to sheep-PrP producing agents able to infect TgMet129 and TgVal129, bearing features that make them indistinguishable of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prions.

our results clearly indicate that atypical BSE adaptation to an ovine-PrP sequence could modify the prion agent to potentially infect humans, showing strain features indistinguishable from those of classic sCJD prions, even though they might or might not be different agents.

However, the expanding range of TSE agents displaying the capacity to transmit in human-PrP–expressing hosts warrants the continuation of the ban on meat and bone meal recycling and underscores the ongoing need for active surveillance

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7258450/

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020

Scrapie TSE Prion Zoonosis Zoonotic, what if?

https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2020/10/scrapie-tse-prion-zoonosis-zoonotic.html

TAHC 409TH COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 29, 2021 CWD CALL FOR SPECIAL MEETING DENIED, DELAYED TO NEXT MEETING

TAHC 409TH COMMISSION MEETING CWD TSE PRION JUNE 29, 2021

TAHC 409TH COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 29, 2021

MEETING starts out by a Commissioner questioning why the first presenter did not address CWD, and speaker said that Dr. Susan Rollo would speak on CWD, and that a nice lady TAHC Commissioner (no named mentioned) that was very concerned about CWD, and she called for a special meeting on CWD, but she was shot down by another lady that said that would not be possible, that cwd would have to be address at next meeting. passing the buck again...so sad. here's what i wrote down.

CWD DR. SUSAN ROLLO MINUTE MARK 59:20

MARCH 23, 2021

5 CWD POSTIVE AT 2 DIFFERENT FACLITIES OWNED BY SAME OWNER UVALDE COUNTY

TO DATE, 7 POSITIVE CWD AT UVALDE FACILITY 1

AND

15 POSITIVE CWD AT FACILITY 2, WHICH IS A 4TH YEAR CERTIFIED HERD. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEPOPULATION OF THIS HERD.

1 DOE WAS POSITIVE HUNT COUNTY

SEE FULL MEETING OVER 4 HOURS, and it's very discouraging;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w41tLvOkT8A

Texas Kimble County Farm Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Approximate Herd Prevalence 12%

SUMMARY MINUTES OF THE 407th COMMISSION MEETING Texas Animal Health Commission

September 22, 2020

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD):

A new CWD positive breeding herd was disclosed in February 2020 in Kimble County. This herd depopulation was completed in July 2020. Including the two index positive deer, an additional eight more positive deer were disclosed (approximate herd prevalence 12%). Since July 2015 and prior to this discovery, five positive captive breeder herds have been disclosed and four of those are in Medina County. One herd in Lavaca and three herds in Medina County were depopulated leaving one large herd in Medina County that is managed on a herd plan. A new zone was established in Val Verde County in December 2019 as a result of a positive free-ranging White-tailed Deer (WTD). A second positive WTD was also disclosed in February 2020 in the same area.

https://www.tahc.texas.gov/agency/meetings/minutes/Minutes_CommMtg_2020-09-22.pdf

“Regrettably, the gravity of this situation continues to mount with these new CWD positive discoveries, as well as with the full understanding of just how many other facilities and release sites across Texas were connected to the CWD positive sites in Uvalde and Hunt Counties,” said Carter Smith, Executive Director of TPWD.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20210514a

https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20210331b

TAHC Chapter 40, Chronic Wasting Disease Terry Singeltary Comment Submission

***> 1st and foremost your biggest problem is 'VOLUNTARY'! AS with the BSE 589.2001 FEED REGULATIONS, especially since it is still voluntary with cervid, knowing full well that cwd and scrapie will transmit to pigs by oral route. VOLUNTARY DOES NOT WORK! all animal products should be banned and be made mandatory, and the herd certification program should be mandatory, or you don't move cervid. IF THE CWD HERD CERTIFICATION IS NOT MANDATORY, it will be another colossal tse prion failure from the start.

***> 2nd USA should declare a Declaration of Extraordinary Emergency due to CWD, and all exports of cervid and cervid products must be stopped internationally, and there should be a ban of interstate movement of cervid, until a live cwd test is available.

***> 3rd Captive Farmed cervid ESCAPEES should be made mandatory to report immediately, and strict regulations for those suspect cwd deer that just happen to disappear. IF a cervid escapes and is not found, that farm should be indefinitely shut down, all movement, until aid MIA cervid is found, and if not ever found, that farm shut down permanently.

***> 4th Captive Farmed Cervid, INDEMNITY, NO MORE Federal indemnity program, or what i call, ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM for game farm industry. NO MORE BAIL OUTS FROM TAX PAYERS. if the captive industry can't buy insurance to protect not only themselves, but also their customers, and especially the STATE, from Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion or what some call mad deer disease and harm therefrom, IF they can't afford to buy that insurance that will cover all of it, then they DO NOT GET A PERMIT to have a game farm for anything. This CWD TSE Prion can/could/has caused property values to fall from some reports in some places. roll the dice, how much is a state willing to lose?

***> 5th QUARANTINE OF ALL FARMED CAPTIVE, BREEDERS, URINE, ANTLER, VELVET, SPERM, OR ANY FACILITY, AND THEIR PRODUCTS, that has been confirmed to have Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion, the QUARANTINE should be for 21 years due to science showing what scrapie can do. 5 years is NOT near long enough. see; Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at least 16 to 21 years.

***> 6th America BSE 589.2001 FEED REGULATIONS CWD TSE Prion

***> 7TH TRUCKING TRANSPORTING CERVID CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TSE PRION VIOLATING THE LACEY ACT

***> 8TH ALL CAPTIVE FARMING CERVID OPERATIONS MUST BE INSURED TO PAY FOR ANY CLEAN UP OF CWD AND QUARANTINE THERE FROM FOR THE STATE, NO MORE ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM FOR CERVID GAME FARMING PAY TO PLAY FOR CWD TSE PRION OFF THE TAX PAYERS BACK.

***> 9TH ANY STATE WITH DOCUMENTED CWD, INTERSTATE, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT OF ALL CERVID, AND ALL CERVID PRODUCTS MUST BE HALTED!

***> 10TH BAN THE SALE OF STRAW BRED BUCKS AND ALL CERVID SEMEN AND URINE PRODUCTS

***> 11th ALL CAPTIVE FARMED CERVID AND THEIR PRODUCTS MUST BE CWD TSE PRION TESTED ANNUALLY AND BEFORE SALE FOR CWD TSE PRION

SEE FULL SCIENCE REFERENCES AND REASONINGS ;

Control of Chronic Wasting Disease OMB Control Number: 0579-0189 APHIS-2021-0004 Singeltary Submission

https://www.regulations.gov/comment/APHIS-2021-0004-0002

https://downloads.regulations.gov/APHIS-2021-0004-0002/attachment_1.pdf

Docket No. APHIS-2018-0011 Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification

https://www.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2018-0011-0003

https://downloads.regulations.gov/APHIS-2018-0011-0003/attachment_1.pdf

5 or 6 years quarantine is NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR CWD TSE PRION !!!

QUARANTINE NEEDS TO BE 21 YEARS FOR CWD TSE PRION !

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

Should Property Evaluations Contain Scrapie, CWD, TSE PRION Environmental Contamination of the land?

***> 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

https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2021/04/should-property-evaluations-contain.html

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021

Wisconsin CWD TSE Prion 2021 Update Wild Cervid 8,174 Positive To Date

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2021/08/wisconsin-cwd-tse-prion-2021-update.html

THURSDAY, AUGUST 05, 2021

Evaluation of Winter Ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) Collected from North American Elk (Cervus canadensis) in an Area of Chronic Wasting Disease

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2021/08/evaluation-of-winter-ticks-dermacentor.html

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2021

EU to lift its ban on feeding animal remains to domestic livestock Allowing processed animal protein feed for pigs and poultry

https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2021/06/eu-to-lift-its-ban-on-feeding-animal.html

SUNDAY, JULY 11, 2021