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Walter WD, Fameli A, Russo‐Petrick K, Edson JE, Rosenberry CS, Schuler KL, Tonkovich MJ. Large-scale assessment of genetic structure to assess risk of populations of a large herbivore to disease. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11347. [PMID: 38774134 PMCID: PMC11106048 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) can spread among cervids by direct and indirect transmission, the former being more likely in emerging areas. Identifying subpopulations allows the delineation of focal areas to target for intervention. We aimed to assess the population structure of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the northeastern United States at a regional scale to inform managers regarding gene flow throughout the region. We genotyped 10 microsatellites in 5701 wild deer samples from Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. We evaluated the distribution of genetic variability through spatial principal component analysis and inferred genetic structure using non-spatial and spatial Bayesian clustering algorithms (BCAs). We simulated populations representing each inferred wild cluster, wild deer in each state and each physiographic province, total wild population, and a captive population. We conducted genetic assignment tests using these potential sources, calculating the probability of samples being correctly assigned to their origin. Non-spatial BCA identified two clusters across the region, while spatial BCA suggested a maximum of nine clusters. Assignment tests correctly placed deer into captive or wild origin in most cases (94%), as previously reported, but performance varied when assigning wild deer to more specific origins. Assignments to clusters inferred via non-spatial BCA performed well, but efficiency was greatly reduced when assigning samples to clusters inferred via spatial BCA. Differences between spatial BCA clusters are not strong enough to make assignment tests a reliable method for inferring the geographic origin of deer using 10 microsatellites. However, the genetic distinction between clusters may indicate natural and anthropogenic barriers of interest for management.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. David Walter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Alberto Fameli
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Kelly Russo‐Petrick
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Jessie E. Edson
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Krysten L. Schuler
- Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, New York State Wildlife Health ProgramIthacaNew YorkUSA
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2
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Cook M, Hensley-McBain T, Grindeland A. Mouse models of chronic wasting disease: A review. FRONTIERS IN VIROLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fviro.2023.1055487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Animal models are essential tools for investigating and understanding complex prion diseases like chronic wasting disease (CWD), an infectious prion disease of cervids (elk, deer, moose, and reindeer). Over the past several decades, numerous mouse models have been generated to aid in the advancement of CWD knowledge and comprehension. These models have facilitated the investigation of pathogenesis, transmission, and potential therapies for CWD. Findings have impacted CWD management and disease outcomes, though much remains unknown, and a cure has yet to be discovered. Studying wildlife for CWD effects is singularly difficult due to the long incubation time, subtle clinical signs at early stages, lack of convenient in-the-field live testing methods, and lack of reproducibility of a controlled laboratory setting. Mouse models in many cases is the first step to understanding the mechanisms of disease in a shortened time frame. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of studies with mouse models in CWD research. We begin by reviewing studies that examined the use of mouse models for bioassays for tissues, bodily fluids, and excreta that spread disease, then address routes of infectivity and infectious load. Next, we delve into studies of genetic factors that influence protein structure. We then move on to immune factors, possible transmission through environmental contamination, and species barriers and differing prion strains. We conclude with studies that make use of cervidized mouse models in the search for therapies for CWD.
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3
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Egan ME, Pepin KM, Fischer JW, Hygnstrom SE, VerCauteren KC, Bastille‐Rousseau G. Social network analysis of white‐tailed deer scraping behavior: Implications for disease transmission. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Egan
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois USA
- School of Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois USA
| | - Kim M. Pepin
- National Wildlife Research Center United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Service Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Justin W. Fischer
- National Wildlife Research Center United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Service Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Scott E. Hygnstrom
- Wisconsin Center for Wildlife College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin‐Stevens Point Stevens Point Wisconsin USA
| | - Kurt C. VerCauteren
- National Wildlife Research Center United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Service Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Guillaume Bastille‐Rousseau
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois USA
- School of Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois USA
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4
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Prions: a threat to health security and the need for effective medical countermeasures. GLOBAL HEALTH JOURNAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.glohj.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
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5
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Landon AC, Smith K, Cornicelli L, Fulton DC, McInenly LE, Schroeder SA. Examining landowners' preferences for a chronic wasting disease management program. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Landon
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Rd. Saint Paul MN 55155 USA
| | - Kyle Smith
- Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Minnesota 1980 Folwell Ave Saint Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Louis Cornicelli
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Rd. Saint Paul MN 55155 USA
| | - David C. Fulton
- U.S. Geological Survey, Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit 1980 Folwell Ave Saint Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Leslie E. McInenly
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Rd. Saint Paul MN 55155 USA
| | - Susan A. Schroeder
- Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Minnesota 1980 Folwell Ave Saint Paul MN 55108 USA
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6
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Raudabaugh DB, Ishida Y, Haley NJ, Brown WM, Novakofski J, Roca AL, Mateus-Pinilla NE. County-wide assessments of Illinois white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) prion protein gene variation using improved primers and potential implications for management. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274640. [PMID: 36449540 PMCID: PMC9710747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, highly infectious prion disease that affects captive and wild cervids. Chronic wasting disease is the only known transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting free-ranging wildlife. In CWD-positive deer, some haplotypes of the prion protein gene PRNP are detected at lower frequencies as compared to CWD-negative deer, as are some variants of the prion protein PrP. Here, we examined wild, hunter-harvested CWD-negative white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to determine whether there were geographical or temporal differences in the PRNP haplotypes, PRNP diplotypes, PrP proteoforms, and in the proportion of deer with at least one protective haplotype. We sampled 96-100 hunter-harvested deer per county at two time points in the Illinois counties of Jo Daviess, LaSalle, and Winnebago, chosen based on their geographic locations and known occurrence of CWD. The entire coding region of PRNP was sequenced, with haplotypes, diplotypes, and PrP proteoforms inferred. Across time, in Winnebago there was a significant increase in PrP proteoform F (p = 0.034), which is associated with a lower vulnerability to CWD. In every county, there was an increase over time in the frequency of deer carrying at least one protective haplotype to CWD, with a significant increase (p = 0.02) in the Jo Daviess County CWD infected region. We also found that primer combination was important as there was an 18.7% difference in the number of the deer identified as homozygous depending on primer usage. Current Illinois state management practices continue to remove CWD infected deer from locally infected areas helping to keep CWD prevalence low. Nonetheless, continued research on spatial and temporal changes in PRNP haplotypes, PrP proteoforms, and levels of deer vulnerability among Illinois deer will be important for the management of CWD within the state of Illinois and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B. Raudabaugh
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NEMP); (DBR)
| | - Yasuko Ishida
- Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J. Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, United States of America
| | - William M. Brown
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jan Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Alfred L. Roca
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Nohra E. Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NEMP); (DBR)
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7
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Impact of landcover composition and density of localized deer culling sites on chronic wasting disease prevalence. Prev Vet Med 2022; 208:105774. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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8
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Brandell EE, Storm DJ, Van Deelen TR, Walsh DP, Turner WC. A call to action: Standardizing white-tailed deer harvest data in the Midwestern United States and implications for quantitative analysis and disease management. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.943411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recreational hunting has been the dominant game management and conservation mechanism in the United States for the past century. However, there are numerous modern-day issues that reduce the viability and efficacy of hunting-based management, such as fewer hunters, overabundant wildlife populations, limited access, and emerging infectious diseases in wildlife. Quantifying the drivers of recreational harvest by hunters could inform potential management actions to address these issues, but this is seldom comprehensively accomplished because data collection practices limit some analytical applications (e.g., differing spatial scales of harvest regulations and harvest data). Additionally, managing large-scale issues, such as infectious diseases, requires collaborations across management agencies, which is challenging or impossible if data are not standardized. Here we discuss modern issues with the prevailing wildlife management framework in the United States from an analytical point of view with a case study of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the Midwest. We have four aims: (1) describe the interrelated processes that comprise hunting and suggest improvements to current data collections systems, (2) summarize data collection systems employed by state wildlife management agencies in the Midwestern United States and discuss potential for large-scale data standardization, (3) assess how aims 1 and 2 influence managing infectious diseases in hunted wildlife, and (4) suggest actionable steps to help guide data collection standards and management practices. To achieve these goals, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources disseminated a questionnaire to state wildlife agencies (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin), and we report and compare their harvest management structures, data collection practices, and responses to chronic wasting disease. We hope our “call to action” encourages re-evaluation, coordination, and improvement of harvest and management data collection practices with the goal of improving the analytical potential of these data. A deeper understanding of the strengths and deficiencies of our current management systems in relation to harvest and management data collection methods could benefit the future development of comprehensive and collaborative management and research initiatives (e.g., adaptive management) for wildlife and their diseases.
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9
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Kjær LJ, Schauber EM. The effect of landscape, transmission mode and social behavior on disease transmission: Simulating the transmission of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations using a spatially explicit agent-based model. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Varga C, McDonald P, Brown WM, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus‐Pinilla NE. Evaluating the ability of a locally focused culling program in removing chronic wasting disease infected free-ranging white-tailed deer in Illinois, USA, 2003-2020. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:2867-2878. [PMID: 34953169 PMCID: PMC9786818 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In northern Illinois, chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first identified in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter referred to as "deer") in 2002. To reduce CWD transmission rates in Illinois, wildlife biologists have conducted locally focussed culling of deer since 2003 in areas where CWD has been detected. We used retrospective spatial, temporal and space-time scan statistical models to identify areas and periods where culling removed higher than expected numbers of CWD-positive deer. We included 490 Public Land Survey "sections" (∼2.59 km2 ) from 15 northern Illinois counties in which at least one deer tested positive for CWD between 2003 and 2020. A negative binomial regression model compared the proportion of CWD positive cases removed from sections with at least one CWD case detected in the previous years, "local area 1 (L1)," to the proportion of CWD cases in adjacent sections-L2, L3, and L4-designated by their increasing distance from L1. Of the 14,661 deer removed and tested via culling, 325 (2.22 %) were CWD-positive. A single temporal CWD cluster occurred in 2020. Three spatial clusters were identified, with a primary cluster located at the border of Boone and Winnebago counties. Four space-time clusters were identified with a primary cluster in the northern portion of the study area from 2003 to 2005 that overlapped with the spatial cluster. The proportion of CWD cases removed from L1 (3.92, 95% CI, 2.56-6.01) and L2 (2.32, 95% CI, 1.50-3.59) were significantly higher compared to L3. Focussing culling efforts on accessible properties closest to L1 areas results in more CWD-infected deer being removed, which highlights the value of collaborations among landowners, hunters, and wildlife management agencies to control CWD. Continuous evaluation and updating of the culling and surveillance programs are essential to mitigate the health burden of CWD on deer populations in Illinois.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Varga
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Patrick McDonald
- Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesDivision of Wildlife ResourcesSpringfieldIllinoisUSA
| | - William M. Brown
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesDivision of Wildlife ResourcesSpringfieldIllinoisUSA
| | - Alfred L. Roca
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Jan E. Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Nohra E. Mateus‐Pinilla
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
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11
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Transmission, Strain Diversity, and Zoonotic Potential of Chronic Wasting Disease. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071390. [PMID: 35891371 PMCID: PMC9316268 DOI: 10.3390/v14071390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting several species of captive and free-ranging cervids. In the past few decades, CWD has been spreading uncontrollably, mostly in North America, resulting in a high increase of CWD incidence but also a substantially higher number of geographical regions affected. The massive increase in CWD poses risks at several levels, including contamination of the environment, transmission to animals cohabiting with cervids, and more importantly, a putative transmission to humans. In this review, I will describe the mechanisms and routes responsible for the efficient transmission of CWD, the strain diversity of natural CWD, its spillover and zoonotic potential and strategies to minimize the CWD threat.
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12
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Islam MR, Bulut U, Feria-Arroyo TP, Tyshenko MG, Oraby T. Modeling the Impact of Climate Change on Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease in Semi-Arid South Texas. FRONTIERS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY 2022; 2:889280. [PMID: 38455276 PMCID: PMC10910938 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2022.889280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a spongiform encephalopathy disease caused by the transmission of infectious prion agents. CWD is a fatal disease that affects wild and farmed cervids in North America with few cases reported overseas. Social interaction of cervids, feeding practices by wildlife keepers and climate effects on the environmental carrying capacity all can affect CWD transmission in deer. Wildlife deer game hunting is economically important to the semi-arid South Texas region and is affected by climate change. In this paper, we model and investigate the effect of climate change on the spread of CWD using typical climate scenarios. We use a system of impulsive differential equations to depict the transmission of CWD between different age groups and gender of cervids. The carrying capacity and contact rates are assumed to depend on climate. Due to the polygamy of bucks, we use mating rates that depend on the number of bucks and does. We analyze the stability of the model and use simulations to study the effect of harvesting (culling) on eradicating the disease, given the climate of South Texas. We use typical climate change scenarios based on published data and our assumptions. For the climate indicator, we calculated and utilized the Standard Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We found that climate change might hinder the efforts to reduce and effectively manage CWD as it becomes endemic to South Texas. The model shows the extinction of the deer population from this region is a likely outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Rafiul Islam
- Department of Mathematics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ummugul Bulut
- Department of Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | | | - Tamer Oraby
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, United States
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13
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Wagner K, Pierce R, Gordon E, Hay A, Lessard A, Telling GC, Ballard JR, Moreno JA, Zabel MD. Tissue-specific biochemical differences between chronic wasting disease prions isolated from free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101834. [PMID: 35304100 PMCID: PMC9019250 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an invariably fatal prion disease affecting cervid species worldwide. Prions can manifest as distinct strains that can influence disease pathology and transmission. CWD is profoundly lymphotropic, and most infected cervids likely shed peripheral prions replicated in lymphoid organs. However, CWD is a neurodegenerative disease, and most research on prion strains has focused on neurogenic prions. Thus, a knowledge gap exists comparing neurogenic prions to lymphogenic prions. In this study, we compared prions from the obex and lymph nodes of naturally exposed white-tailed deer to identify potential biochemical strain differences. Here, we report biochemical evidence of strain differences between the brain and lymph node from these animals. Conformational stability assays, glycoform ratio analyses, and immunoreactivity scanning across the structured domain of the prion protein that refolds into the amyloid aggregate of the infectious prion reveal significantly more structural and glycoform variation in lymphogenic prions than neurogenic prions. Surprisingly, we observed greater biochemical differences among neurogenic prions than lymphogenic prions across individuals. We propose that the lymphoreticular system propagates a diverse array of prions from which the brain selects a more restricted pool of prions that may be quite different than those from another individual of the same species. Future work should examine the biological and zoonotic impact of these biochemical differences and examine more cervids from multiple locations to determine if these differences are conserved across species and locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Wagner
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Robyn Pierce
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Elizabeth Gordon
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Arielle Hay
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Avery Lessard
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Glenn C. Telling
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Ballard
- Research Division, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Julie A. Moreno
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Mark D. Zabel
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,For correspondence: Mark D. Zabel
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14
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Pritzkow S, Gorski D, Ramirez F, Soto C. Prion Dissemination through the Environment and Medical Practices: Facts and Risks for Human Health. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005919. [PMID: 34319151 PMCID: PMC8404694 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00059-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal, infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting various species of mammals, including humans. The infectious agent in these diseases, termed prion, is composed exclusively of a misfolded protein that can spread and multiply in the absence of genetic materials. In this article, we provide an overview of the mechanisms of prion replication, interindividual transmission, and dissemination in communities. In particular, we review the potential role of the natural environment in prion transmission, including the mechanisms and pathways for prion entry and accumulation in the environment as well as its roles in prion mutation, adaptation, evolution, and transmission. We also discuss the transmission of prion diseases through medical practices, scientific research, and use of biological products. Detailed knowledge of these aspects is crucial to limit the spreading of existing prion diseases as well as to prevent the emergence of new diseases with possible catastrophic consequences for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Damian Gorski
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Frank Ramirez
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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15
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Perrin-Stowe TIN, Ishida Y, Terrill EE, Beetem D, Ryder OA, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE, Roca AL. Variation in the PRNP gene of Pere David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) may impact genetic vulnerability to chronic wasting disease. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01419-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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16
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Smolko P, Seidel D, Pybus M, Hubbs A, Ball M, Merrill E. Spatio-temporal changes in chronic wasting disease risk in wild deer during 14 years of surveillance in Alberta, Canada. Prev Vet Med 2021; 197:105512. [PMID: 34740023 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Disease risk modeling is a key first step to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of wildlife disease and to direct cost-effective surveillance and management. In Alberta, active surveillance for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild cervids began in 1998 with the first case detected in free-ranging cervids in 2005. Following the detection, a herd reduction program was implemented during 2005-2008 and in 2006 the ongoing hunter-based CWD Surveillance Program became mandatory in high-risk Wildlife Management Units (WMU). We used data collected during the CWD surveillance program to 1) document growth in sex-specific CWD prevalence (proportion of deer in sample that is CWD-positive) in hunter-harvest deer in 6 WMUs consistently monitored from 2006 to 2018, 2) document landscape features associated with where CWD-positive compared to CWD-negative deer were removed during hunter harvest and herd reduction in an early (2005-2012) and in a late period (2013-2017), and 3) to map the spatial risk of harvesting a deer infected with CWD in the prairie parklands of Alberta. In the 6 continuously monitored WMUs, risk of a harvested deer being CWD positive increased from 2006 to 2018 with CWD prevalence remaining highest in male mule deer whereas overall growth rate in CWD prevalence was greater in female mule deer, but similar to male white-tailed deer. We found no evidence that the 3-year herd reduction program conducted immediately after CWD was first detected affected the rate at which CWD grew over the course of the invasion. Risk of deer being CWD-positive was the highest in animals taken near small stream drainages and on soils with low organic carbon content in the early period, whereas risk became highest in areas of agriculture especially when far from large river drainages where deer often concentrate in isolated woody patches. The change in the influence of proximity to known CWD-positive cases suggested the disease was initially patchy but became more spatially homogeneous over time. Our results indicate that a targeted-removal program will remove more CWD positive animals compared to hunter harvest. However, the discontinuation of targeted removals during our research program, restricted our ability to assess its long term impact on CWD prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Smolko
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada; Technical University in Zvolen, Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, 960 01, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Dana Seidel
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Margo Pybus
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada; Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6H 4P2, Canada
| | - Anne Hubbs
- Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6H 4P2, Canada
| | - Mark Ball
- Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6H 4P2, Canada
| | - Evelyn Merrill
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
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17
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Landscape Features Fail to Explain Spatial Genetic Structure in White‐Tailed Deer Across Ohio, USA. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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18
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Ishida Y, Tian T, Brandt AL, Kelly AC, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Association of chronic wasting disease susceptibility with prion protein variation in white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2021; 14:214-225. [PMID: 32835598 PMCID: PMC7518741 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1805288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is caused by prions, infectious proteinaceous particles, PrPCWD. We sequenced the PRNP gene of 2,899 white-tailed deer (WTD) from Illinois and southern Wisconsin, finding 38 haplotypes. Haplotypes A, B, D, E, G and 10 others encoded Q95G96S100N103A123Q226, designated ‘PrP variant A.’ Haplotype C and five other haplotypes encoded PrP ‘variant C’ (Q95S96S100N103A123Q226). Haplotype F and three other haplotypes encoded PrP ‘variant F’ (H95G96S100N103A123Q226). The association of CWD with encoded PrP variants was examined in 2,537 tested WTD from counties with CWD. Relative to PrP variant A, CWD susceptibility was lower in deer with PrP variant C (OR = 0.26, p < 0.001), and even lower in deer with PrP variant F (OR = 0.10, p < 0.0001). Susceptibility to CWD was highest in deer with both chromosomes encoding PrP variant A, lower with one copy encoding PrP variant A (OR = 0.25, p < 0.0001) and lowest in deer without PrP variant A (OR = 0.07, p < 0.0001). There appeared to be incomplete dominance for haplotypes encoding PrP variant C in reducing CWD susceptibility. Deer with both chromosomes encoding PrP variant F (FF) or one encoding PrP variant C and the other F (CF) were all CWD negative. Our results suggest that an increased population frequency of PrP variants C or F and a reduced frequency of PrP variant A may reduce the risk of CWD infection. Understanding the population and geographic distribution of PRNP polymorphisms may be a useful tool in CWD management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Ishida
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Ting Tian
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Adam L Brandt
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,Division of Natural Sciences, St. Norbert College , De Pere, WI, USA
| | - Amy C Kelly
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,Bayer U.S. - Crop Sciences Biotechnology Genomics and Data Science, BB4929-A , Chesterfield, MO, USA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources , Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jan Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA
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19
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Chafin TK, Douglas MR, Martin BT, Zbinden ZD, Middaugh CR, Ballard JR, Gray MC, Don White, Douglas ME. Age structuring and spatial heterogeneity in prion protein gene ( PRNP) polymorphism in white-tailed deer. Prion 2021; 14:238-248. [PMID: 33078661 PMCID: PMC7575228 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1832947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic-wasting disease (CWD) is a prion-derived fatal neurodegenerative disease that has affected wild cervid populations on a global scale. Susceptibility has been linked unambiguously to several amino acid variants within the prion protein gene (PRNP). Quantifying their distribution across landscapes can provide critical information for agencies attempting to adaptively manage CWD. Here we attempt to further define management implications of PRNP polymorphism by quantifying the contemporary geographic distribution (i.e., phylogeography) of PRNP variants in hunter-harvested white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus, N = 1433) distributed across Arkansas (USA), including a focal spot for CWD since detection of the disease in February 2016. Of these, PRNP variants associated with the well-characterized 96S non-synonymous substitution showed a significant increase in relative frequency among older CWD-positive cohorts. We interpreted this pattern as reflective of a longer life expectancy for 96S genotypes in a CWD-endemic region, suggesting either decreased probabilities of infection or reduced disease progression. Other variants showing statistical signatures of potential increased susceptibility, however, seemingly reflect an artefact of population structure. We also showed marked heterogeneity across the landscape in the prevalence of ‘reduced susceptibility’ genotypes. This may indicate, in turn, that differences in disease susceptibility among WTD in Arkansas are an innate, population-level characteristic that is detectable through phylogeographic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler K Chafin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Marlis R Douglas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Bradley T Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Zachery D Zbinden
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Christopher R Middaugh
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Research, Evaluation, and Compliance Division , Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Jennifer R Ballard
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Research, Evaluation, and Compliance Division , Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - M Cory Gray
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Research, Evaluation, and Compliance Division , Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Don White
- University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station , Monticello, AR, USA
| | - Michael E Douglas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
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20
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Perrin-Stowe TIN, Ishida Y, Terrill EE, Hamlin BC, Penfold L, Cusack LM, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE, Roca AL. Prion Protein Gene (PRNP) Sequences Suggest Differing Vulnerability to Chronic Wasting Disease for Florida Key Deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) and Columbian White-Tailed Deer (O. v. leucurus). J Hered 2021; 111:564-572. [PMID: 32945850 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, highly transmissible spongiform encephalopathy caused by an infectious prion protein. CWD is spreading across North American cervids. Studies of the prion protein gene (PRNP) in white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus) have identified non-synonymous substitutions associated with reduced CWD frequency. Because CWD is spreading rapidly geographically, it may impact cervids of conservation concern. Here, we examined the genetic vulnerability to CWD of 2 subspecies of WTD: the endangered Florida Key deer (O. v. clavium) and the threatened Columbian WTD (O. v. leucurus). In Key deer (n = 48), we identified 3 haplotypes formed by 5 polymorphisms, of which 2 were non-synonymous. The polymorphism c.574G>A, unique to Key deer (29 of 96 chromosomes), encodes a non-synonymous substitution from valine to isoleucine at codon 192. In 91 of 96 chromosomes, Key deer carried c.286G>A (G96S), previously associated with substantially reduced susceptibility to CWD. Key deer may be less genetically susceptible to CWD than many mainland WTD populations. In Columbian WTD (n = 13), 2 haplotypes separated by one synonymous substitution (c.438C>T) were identified. All of the Columbian WTD carried alleles that in other mainland populations are associated with relatively high susceptibility to CWD. While larger sampling is needed, future management plans should consider that Columbian WTD are likely to be genetically more vulnerable to CWD than many other WTD populations. Finally, we suggest that genetic vulnerability to CWD be assessed by sequencing PRNP across other endangered cervids, both wild and in captive breeding facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tolulope I N Perrin-Stowe
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Yasuko Ishida
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Emily E Terrill
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Brian C Hamlin
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, Ashland, OR
| | - Linda Penfold
- South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction and Conservation, Yulee, FL
| | - Lara M Cusack
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Naples, FL
| | - Jan Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
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21
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Selective Breeding for Disease-Resistant PRNP Variants to Manage Chronic Wasting Disease in Farmed Whitetail Deer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091396. [PMID: 34573378 PMCID: PMC8471411 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of cervids caused by a misfolded variant of the normal cellular prion protein, and it is closely related to sheep scrapie. Variations in a host's prion gene, PRNP, and its primary protein structure dramatically affect susceptibility to specific prion disorders, and breeding for PRNP variants that prevent scrapie infection has led to steep declines in the disease in North American and European sheep. While resistant alleles have been identified in cervids, a PRNP variant that completely prevents CWD has not yet been identified. Thus, control of the disease in farmed herds traditionally relies on quarantine and depopulation. In CWD-endemic areas, depopulation of private herds becomes challenging to justify, leading to opportunities to manage the disease in situ. We developed a selective breeding program for farmed white-tailed deer in a high-prevalence CWD-endemic area which focused on reducing frequencies of highly susceptible PRNP variants and introducing animals with less susceptible variants. With the use of newly developed primers, we found that breeding followed predictable Mendelian inheritance, and early data support our project's utility in reducing CWD prevalence. This project represents a novel approach to CWD management, with future efforts building on these findings.
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22
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Inferring Chronic Wasting Disease Incidence from Prevalence Data. J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:718-721. [PMID: 33961047 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Incidence of chronic wasting disease infection showed strong, positive correlation (r≥0.944) with apparent prevalence among female and male mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in seven herds previously studied in Colorado and Wyoming, US. With attention to monitoring method consistency and context, inferring that observed prevalence trends reflect underlying epidemic dynamics in mule deer herds appears justifiable.
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23
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HUNTING PRESSURE MODULATES PRION INFECTION RISK IN MULE DEER HERDS. J Wildl Dis 2021; 56:781-790. [PMID: 33600602 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of chronic wasting disease, an infectious prion disease of multiple deer species, has motivated international calls for sustainable, socially accepted control measures. Here, we describe long-term, spatially replicated relationships in Colorado, US, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herds that show hunting pressure can modulate apparent epidemic dynamics as reflected by prevalence trends. Across 12 areas in Colorado studied between 2002-18, those with the largest declines in annual hunting license numbers (pressure) showed the largest increases in the proportion of infected adult (≥2-yr-old) male deer killed by hunters (prevalence); prevalence trends were comparatively flat in most areas where license numbers had been maintained or increased. The mean number of licenses issued in the 2 yr prior best explained observed patterns: increasing licenses lowered subsequent risk of harvesting an infected deer, and decreasing licenses increased that risk. Our findings suggest that harvesting mule deer with sufficient hunting pressure might control chronic wasting disease-especially when prevalence is low-but that harvest prescriptions promoting an abundance of mature male deer contribute to the exponential growth of epidemics.
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24
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CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE MODELING: AN OVERVIEW. J Wildl Dis 2021; 56:741-758. [PMID: 32544029 DOI: 10.7589/2019-08-213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious and fatal prion disease occurring in the family Cervidae. To update the research community regarding the status quo of CWD epidemic models, we conducted a meta-analysis on CWD research. We collected data from peer-reviewed articles published since 1980, when CWD was first diagnosed, until December 2018. We explored the analytical methods used historically to understand CWD. We used 14 standardized variables to assess overall analytical approaches of CWD research communities, data used, and the modeling methods used. We found that CWD modeling initiated in the early 2000s and has increased since then. Connectivity of the research community was heavily reliant on a cluster of CWD researchers. Studies focused primarily on regression and compartment-based models, population-level approaches, and host species of game management concern. Similarly, CWD research focused on single populations, species, and locations, neglecting modeling using community ecology and biogeographic approaches. Chronic wasting disease detection relied on classic diagnostic methods with limited sensitivity for most stages of infection. Overall, we found that past modeling efforts generated a solid baseline for understanding CWD in wildlife and increased our knowledge on infectious prion ecology. Future analytical efforts should consider more sensitive diagnostic methods to quantify uncertainty and broader scale studies to elucidate CWD transmission beyond population-level approaches. Considering that infectious prions may not follow biological rules of well-known wildlife pathogens (i.e., viruses, bacteria, fungi), assumptions used when modeling other infectious disease may not apply for CWD. Chronic wasting disease is a new challenge in wildlife epidemiology.
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25
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Mysterud A, Viljugrein H, Rolandsen CM, Belsare AV. Harvest strategies for the elimination of low prevalence wildlife diseases. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210124. [PMID: 33959374 PMCID: PMC8074915 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The intensive harvesting of hosts is often the only practicable strategy for controlling emerging wildlife diseases. Several harvesting approaches have been explored theoretically with the objective of lowering transmission rates, decreasing the transmission period or specifically targeting spatial disease clusters or high-risk demographic groups. Here, we present a novel model-based approach to evaluate alternative harvest regimes, in terms of demographic composition and rates, intended to increase the probability to remove all infected individuals in the population during the early phase of an outbreak. We tested the utility of the method for the elimination of chronic wasting disease based on empirical data for reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway, in populations with (Nordfjella) and without (Hardangervidda) knowledge about exact disease prevalence and population abundance. Low and medium harvest intensities were unsuccessful in eliminating the disease, even at low prevalence. High-intensity harvesting had a high likelihood of eliminating the disease, but probability was strongly influenced by the disease prevalence. We suggest that the uncertainty about disease prevalence can be mitigated by using an adaptive management approach: forecast from models after each harvest season with updated data, derive prevalence estimates and forecast further harvesting. We identified the problems arising from disease surveillance with large fluctuations in harvesting pressure and hence sample sizes. The elimination method may be suitable for pathogens that cause long-lasting infections and with slow epidemic growth, but the method should only be attempted if there is a low risk of reinfection, either by a new disease introduction event (e.g. dispersing hosts) or due to environmental reservoirs. Our simulations highlighted the short time window when such a strategy is likely to be successful before approaching near complete eradication of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Hildegunn Viljugrein
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, PO Box 750 Sentrum, 0106 Oslo, Norway
| | - Christer M. Rolandsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Aniruddha V. Belsare
- Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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26
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Mysterud A, Rauset GR, Van Moorter B, Andersen R, Strand O, Rivrud IM. The last moves: The effect of hunting and culling on the risk of disease spread from a population of reindeer. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Atle Mysterud
- Department of Biosciences Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | | | | | - Roy Andersen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | - Olav Strand
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
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27
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Hedman HD, Varga C, Duquette J, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Food Safety Considerations Related to the Consumption and Handling of Game Meat in North America. Vet Sci 2020; 7:vetsci7040188. [PMID: 33255599 PMCID: PMC7712377 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci7040188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging foodborne pathogens present a threat to public health. It is now recognized that several foodborne pathogens originate from wildlife as demonstrated by recent global disease outbreaks. Zoonotic spillover events are closely related to the ubiquity of parasitic, bacterial, and viral pathogens present within human and animal populations and their surrounding environment. Foodborne diseases have economic and international trade impacts, incentivizing effective wildlife disease management. In North America, there are no food safety standards for handling and consumption of free-ranging game meat. Game meat consumption continues to rise in North America; however, this growing practice could place recreational hunters and game meat consumers at increased risk of foodborne diseases. Recreational hunters should follow effective game meat food hygiene practices from harvest to storage and consumption. Here, we provide a synthesis review that evaluates the ecological and epidemiological drivers of foodborne disease risk in North American hunter populations that are associated with the harvest and consumption of terrestrial mammal game meat. We anticipate this work could serve as a foundation of preventive measures that mitigate foodborne disease transmission between free-ranging mammalian and human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden D. Hedman
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USA; (H.D.H.); (J.N.)
| | - Csaba Varga
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;
| | - Jared Duquette
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources; Champaign, IL 62702, USA;
| | - Jan Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USA; (H.D.H.); (J.N.)
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Nohra E. Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USA; (H.D.H.); (J.N.)
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Correspondence:
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28
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Hedman HD, Varga C, Brown WM, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Spatial analysis of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Illinois, 2008-2019. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:2376-2383. [PMID: 33112021 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the geographic distribution and clustering of chronic wasting disease (CWD) among free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations can inform disease management practices. We used a retrospective analysis of surveillance data to evaluate CWD's spatial and temporal dynamics within 16 CWD-infected northern Illinois counties. Of 42,541 deer samples collected and tested for CWD from recreational hunter harvest between 2008 and 2019, we recorded 359 (0.84%) CWD-positive samples. We observed variability in CWD cases over time and space. By county, the median CWD-positive proportion was 0.84%, varying from a minimum of 0.14% in McHenry County to a maximum of 6.28% in Boone County. Across years, there were differences among CWD-positive proportions with a median of 0.90%, ranging from a minimum of 0.27% in 2012 to a maximum of 1.60% in 2019. We used a retrospective discrete Poisson scan statistic model to evaluate the space-time clustering of CWD-positive deer. We identified a statistically significant (p < .001) primary cluster C1 (area = 23.59 km2 ; RR = 10.48), occurring from 2010 to 2015 in the north-central part of the study area, and a secondary cluster C2, occurring from 2014 to 2019 (area = 9.27 km2 ; RR = 3.88) in the north-west of the study area. Detected CWD-positive space-time clusters suggest that the risk of CWD is not random. Space-time clusters of CWD can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Illinois CWD management programme. The area surrounding the older C1 cluster has undergone longer and more intense CWD management compared with C2. Currently, the older C1 cluster is no longer as high risk compared with the newer cluster C2, suggesting that management efforts in C2 should be increased. However, all CWD clusters should be targeted with surveillance, prevention and management programmes, including reducing deer densities to limit further spread of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden D Hedman
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Csaba Varga
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - William M Brown
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jan E Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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29
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Hunting strategies to increase detection of chronic wasting disease in cervids. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4392. [PMID: 32873810 PMCID: PMC7463264 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18229-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The successful mitigation of emerging wildlife diseases may involve controversial host culling. For livestock, ‘preemptive host culling’ is an accepted practice involving the removal of herds with known contact to infected populations. When applied to wildlife, this proactive approach comes in conflict with biodiversity conservation goals. Here, we present an alternative approach of ‘proactive hunting surveillance’ with the aim of early disease detection that simultaneously avoids undesirable population decline by targeting demographic groups with (1) a higher likelihood of being infected and (2) a lower reproductive value. We applied this harvesting principle to populations of reindeer to substantiate freedom of chronic wasting disease (CWD) infection. Proactive hunting surveillance reached 99% probability of freedom from infection (<4 reindeer infected) within 3–5 years, in comparison to ~10 years using ordinary harvest surveillance. However, implementation uncertainties linked to social issues appear challenging also with this kind of host culling. Rarely are the outcomes of mathematical (probability) models of wildlife disease detection used to inform policy or management changes. Here the authors develop a proactive hunting surveillance program that shortened the time required to establish freedom from chronic wasting disease at the population level in reindeer.
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30
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Miller WL, Miller‐Butterworth CM, Diefenbach DR, Walter WD. Assessment of spatial genetic structure to identify populations at risk for infection of an emerging epizootic disease. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3977-3990. [PMID: 32489625 PMCID: PMC7244803 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the geographic extent and connectivity of wildlife populations can provide important insights into the management of disease outbreaks but defining patterns of population structure is difficult for widely distributed species. Landscape genetic analyses are powerful methods for identifying cryptic structure and movement patterns that may be associated with spatial epizootic patterns in such cases.We characterized patterns of population substructure and connectivity using microsatellite genotypes from 2,222 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, a region where chronic wasting disease was first detected in 2009. The goal of this study was to evaluate the juxtaposition between population structure, landscape features that influence gene flow, and current disease management units.Clustering analyses identified four to five subpopulations in this region, the edges of which corresponded to ecophysiographic provinces. Subpopulations were further partitioned into 11 clusters with subtle (F ST ≤ 0.041), but significant genetic differentiation. Genetic differentiation was lower and migration rates were higher among neighboring genetic clusters, indicating an underlying genetic cline. Genetic discontinuities were associated with topographic barriers, however.Resistance surface modeling indicated that gene flow was diffuse in homogenous landscapes, but the direction and extent of gene flow were influenced by forest cover, traffic volume, and elevational relief in subregions heterogeneous for these landscape features. Chronic wasting disease primarily occurred among genetic clusters within a single subpopulation and along corridors of high landscape connectivity.These results may suggest a possible correlation between population substructure, landscape connectivity, and the occurrence of diseases for widespread species. Considering these factors may be useful in delineating effective management units, although only the largest features produced appreciable differences in subpopulation structure. Disease mitigation strategies implemented at the scale of ecophysiographic provinces are likely to be more effective than those implemented at finer scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L. Miller
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Ecosystem Science and ManagementIntercollege Graduate Degree Program in EcologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | | | - Duane R. Diefenbach
- U.S. Geological SurveyPennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - W. David Walter
- U.S. Geological SurveyPennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
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31
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Escobar LE, Pritzkow S, Winter SN, Grear DA, Kirchgessner MS, Dominguez-Villegas E, Machado G, Peterson AT, Soto C. The ecology of chronic wasting disease in wildlife. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:393-408. [PMID: 31750623 PMCID: PMC7085120 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prions are misfolded infectious proteins responsible for a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases termed transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion diseases. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is the prion disease with the highest spillover potential, affecting at least seven Cervidae (deer) species. The zoonotic potential of CWD is inconclusive and cannot be ruled out. A risk of infection for other domestic and wildlife species is also plausible. Here, we review the current status of the knowledge with respect to CWD ecology in wildlife. Our current understanding of the geographic distribution of CWD lacks spatial and temporal detail, does not consider the biogeography of infectious diseases, and is largely biased by sampling based on hunters' cooperation and funding available for each region. Limitations of the methods used for data collection suggest that the extent and prevalence of CWD in wildlife is underestimated. If the zoonotic potential of CWD is confirmed in the short term, as suggested by recent results obtained in experimental animal models, there will be limited accurate epidemiological data to inform public health. Research gaps in CWD prion ecology include the need to identify specific biological characteristics of potential CWD reservoir species that better explain susceptibility to spillover, landscape and climate configurations that are suitable for CWD transmission, and the magnitude of sampling bias in our current understanding of CWD distribution and risk. Addressing these research gaps will help anticipate novel areas and species where CWD spillover is expected, which will inform control strategies. From an ecological perspective, control strategies could include assessing restoration of natural predators of CWD reservoirs, ultrasensitive CWD detection in biotic and abiotic reservoirs, and deer density and landscape modification to reduce CWD spread and prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
| | - Steven N. Winter
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Daniel A. Grear
- US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, 59711, U.S.A
| | | | | | - Gustavo Machado
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, U.S.A
| | - A. Townsend Peterson
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, U.S.A
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
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32
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Pepin KM, Golnar AJ, Abdo Z, Podgórski T. Ecological drivers of African swine fever virus persistence in wild boar populations: Insight for control. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2846-2859. [PMID: 32211160 PMCID: PMC7083705 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental sources of infection can play a primary role in shaping epidemiological dynamics; however, the relative impact of environmental transmission on host-pathogen systems is rarely estimated. We developed and fit a spatially explicit model of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in wild boar to estimate what proportion of carcass-based transmission is contributing to the low-level persistence of ASFV in Eastern European wild boar. Our model was developed based on ecological insight and data from field studies of ASFV and wild boar in Eastern Poland. We predicted that carcass-based transmission would play a substantial role in persistence, especially in low-density host populations where contact rates are low. By fitting the model to outbreak data using approximate Bayesian computation, we inferred that between 53% and 66% of transmission events were carcass-based that is, transmitted through contact of a live host with a contaminated carcass. Model fitting and sensitivity analyses showed that the frequency of carcass-based transmission increased with decreasing host density, suggesting that management policies should emphasize the removal of carcasses and consider how reductions in host densities may drive carcass-based transmission. Sensitivity analyses also demonstrated that carcass-based transmission is necessary for the autonomous persistence of ASFV under realistic parameters. Autonomous persistence through direct transmission alone required high host densities; otherwise re-introduction of virus periodically was required for persistence when direct transmission probabilities were moderately high. We quantify the relative role of different persistence mechanisms for a low-prevalence disease using readily collected ecological data and viral surveillance data. Understanding how the frequency of different transmission mechanisms vary across host densities can help identify optimal management strategies across changing ecological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim M. Pepin
- National Wildlife Research CenterUSDAAPHISFort CollinsCOUSA
| | | | - Zaid Abdo
- Microbiology, Immunology, and PathologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Tomasz Podgórski
- Mammal Research InstitutePolish Academy of SciencesBiałowieżaPoland
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife BiologyFaculty of Forestry and Wood SciencesCzech University of Life SciencesPraha 6Czech Republic
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33
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Gagnier M, Laurion I, DeNicola AJ. Control and Surveillance Operations to Prevent Chronic Wasting Disease Establishment in Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Québec, Canada. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10020283. [PMID: 32059390 PMCID: PMC7070379 DOI: 10.3390/ani10020283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a degenerative and fatal prion disease affecting cervids, was detected for the first time in the province of Québec, Canada, in a red deer (Cervus elaphus) farm in the Laurentides region on 10 September 2018. To assess CWD prevalence and control the disease in the free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population, a response plan including enhanced surveillance, population control, regulatory measures, and public outreach was deployed by the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife, and Parks (MFFP). In the 401 km2 white-tailed deer control area, a total of 750 free-ranging white-tailed deer were culled over 70 days, from 22 September to 15 December 2018. Of the culled deer, 534 were tested for CWD. We also tested for CWD a total of 447 white-tailed deer hunted from the enhanced surveillance zone and 2584 free-ranging white-tailed deer harvested outside this zone. Regulations were applied to prevent the spread of the disease through movements of infected animals harvested by hunters. Although no case of CWD was detected in free-ranging cervids in Québec in 2018, this does not confirm the absence of the disease in these populations. However, the results suggest that if CWD is present, few free-ranging cervids are infected, making it possible to prevent its establishment in the province of Québec.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Gagnier
- Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, 880 chemin Ste-Foy, Quebec City, QC G1S 4X4, Canada;
| | - Isabelle Laurion
- Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, 880 chemin Ste-Foy, Quebec City, QC G1S 4X4, Canada;
- Correspondence:
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34
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Haley N, Henderson D, Donner R, Wyckoff S, Merrett K, Tennant J, Hoover E, Love D, Kline E, Lehmkuhl A, Thomsen B. Management of chronic wasting disease in ranched elk: conclusions from a longitudinal three-year study. Prion 2020; 14:76-87. [PMID: 32033521 PMCID: PMC7009334 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1724754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal, horizontally transmissible prion disease of cervid species that has been reported in free-ranging and farmed animals in North America, Scandinavia, and Korea. Like other prion diseases, CWD susceptibility is partly dependent on the sequence of the prion protein encoded by the host's PRNP gene; it is unknown if variations in PRNP have any meaningful effects on other aspects of health. Conventional diagnosis of CWD relies on ELISA or IHC testing of samples collected post-mortem, with recent efforts focused on antemortem testing approaches. We report on the conclusions of a study evaluating the role of antemortem testing of rectal biopsies collected from over 570 elk in a privately managed herd, and the results of both an amplification assay (RT-QuIC) and conventional IHC among animals with a several PRNP genotypes. Links between PRNP genotype and potential markers of evolutionary fitness, including pregnancy rates, body condition, and annual return rates were also examined. We found that the RT-QuIC assay identified significantly more CWD positive animals than conventional IHC across the course of the study, and was less affected by factors known to influence IHC sensitivity - including follicle count and PRNP genotype. We also found that several evolutionary markers of fitness were not adversely correlated with specific PRNP genotypes. While the financial burden of the disease in this herd was ultimately unsustainable for the herd owners, our scientific findings and the hurdles encountered will assist future CWD management strategies in both wild and farmed elk and deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- N.J. Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA,CONTACT N.J. Haley Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - D.M. Henderson
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - R. Donner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - S. Wyckoff
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - K. Merrett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - J Tennant
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - E.A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - D. Love
- Colorado Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division, Broomfield, CO, USA
| | - E. Kline
- Colorado Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division, Broomfield, CO, USA
| | - A.D. Lehmkuhl
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, Ames, IA, USA
| | - B.V. Thomsen
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, Ames, IA, USA,Center for Veterinary Biologics, United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, Ames, IA, USA
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35
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Mysterud A, Strand O, Rolandsen CM. Efficacy of recreational hunters and marksmen for host culling to combat chronic wasting disease in reindeer. WILDLIFE SOC B 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of BiosciencesUniversity of Oslo P.O. Box 1066 Blindern NO‐0316 Oslo Norway
| | - Olav Strand
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden NO‐7485 Trondheim Norway
| | - Christer M. Rolandsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden NO‐7485 Trondheim Norway
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36
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Trone‐Launer EK, Wang J, Lu G, Mateus‐Pinilla NE, Zick PR, Lamer JT, Shelton PA, Jacques CN. Differential gene expression in chronic wasting disease-positive white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12600-12612. [PMID: 31788200 PMCID: PMC6875659 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that affects cervid species throughout North America. We evaluated gene expression in white-tailed deer collected by Illinois Department of Natural Resource wildlife managers during annual population reduction (e.g., sharpshooting) and disease monitoring efforts throughout the CWD-endemic area of northcentral Illinois. We conducted comparative transcriptomic analysis of liver and retropharyngeal lymph node tissue samples between CWD-positive (n = 5) and CWD-not detected (n = 5) deer. A total of 74,479 transcripts were assembled, and 51,661 (69.36%) transcripts were found to have matched proteins in NCBI-NR and UniProt. Our analysis of functional categories showed 40,308 transcripts were assigned to at least one Gene Ontology term and 37,853 transcripts were involved in at least one pathway. We identified a total of 59 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CWD-positive deer, of which 36 and 23 were associated with liver and retropharyngeal lymph node tissues, respectively. Functions of DEGs lend support to previous relationships between misfolded PrP and cellular membranes (e.g., STXBP5), and internal cellular components. We identified several genes that suggest a link between CWD and retroviruses and identified the gene ADIPOQ that acts as a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist. This gene may lead to reduced production of TNF and impact disease progression and clinical symptoms associated with CWD (i.e., wasting syndrome). Use of candidate genes identified in this study suggests the activation of endogenous processes in CWD-positive deer, which in turn may enable earlier detection of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma K. Trone‐Launer
- Department of Biological SciencesWestern Illinois UniversityMacombILUSA
- Present address:
Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesCoffeenILUSA
| | - Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries Germplasm ResourcesMinistry of AgricultureShanghai Ocean UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Guoqing Lu
- Department of Biology and School of Interdisciplinary InformaticsUniversity of Nebraska OmahaOmahaNEUSA
| | - Nohra E. Mateus‐Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey—Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignILUSA
| | - Paige R. Zick
- Department of Biological SciencesWestern Illinois UniversityMacombILUSA
| | - James T. Lamer
- Illinois River Biological StationIllinois Natural History SurveyHavanaILUSA
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37
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Rivera NA, Brandt AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Chronic Wasting Disease In Cervids: Prevalence, Impact And Management Strategies. VETERINARY MEDICINE (AUCKLAND, N.Z.) 2019; 10:123-139. [PMID: 31632898 PMCID: PMC6778748 DOI: 10.2147/vmrr.s197404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that affects members of the cervidae family. The infectious agent is a misfolded isoform (PrPSC) of the host prion protein (PrPC). The replication of PrPSC initiates a cascade of developmental changes that spread from cell to cell, individual to individual, and that for some TSEs, has crossed the species barrier. CWD can be transmitted horizontally and vertically, and it is the only TSE that affects free-ranging wildlife. While other TSEs are under control and even declining, infection rates of CWD continue to grow and the disease distribution continues to expand in North America and around the world. Since the first reported case in 1967, CWD has spread infecting captive and free-ranging cervids in 26 states in the US, 3 Canadian provinces, 3 European countries and has been found in captive cervids in South Korea. CWD causes considerable ecologic, economic and sociologic impact, as this is a 100% fatal highly contagious infectious disease, with no treatment or cure available. Because some TSEs have crossed the species barrier, the zoonotic potential of CWD is a concern for human health and continues to be investigated. Here we review the characteristics of the CWD prion protein, mechanisms of transmission and the role of genetics. We discuss the characteristics that contribute to prevalence and distribution. We also discuss the impact of CWD and review the management strategies that have been used to prevent and control the spread of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelda A Rivera
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Adam L Brandt
- Division of Natural Sciences, St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI, USA
| | - Jan E Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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38
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Tanner E, White A, Lurz PWW, Gortázar C, Díez-Delgado I, Boots M. The Critical Role of Infectious Disease in Compensatory Population Growth in Response to Culling. Am Nat 2019; 194:E1-E12. [PMID: 31251646 DOI: 10.1086/703437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Despite the ubiquity of disease in nature, the role that disease dynamics play in the compensatory growth response to harvesting has been ignored. We use a mathematical approach to show that harvesting can lead to compensatory growth due to a release from disease-induced mortality. Our findings imply that culling in systems that harbor virulent parasites can reduce disease prevalence and increase population density. Our models predict that this compensation occurs for a broad range of infectious disease characteristics unless the disease induces long-lasting immunity in hosts. Our key insight is that a population can be regulated at a similar density by disease or at reduced prevalence by a combination of culling and disease. We illustrate our predictions with a system-specific model representing wild boar tuberculosis infection, parameterized for central Spain, and find significant compensation to culling. Given that few wildlife diseases are likely to induce long-lived immunity, populations with virulent diseases may often be resilient to harvesting.
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40
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Mysterud A, Edmunds DR. A review of chronic wasting disease in North America with implications for Europe. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1260-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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41
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Brandt AL, Green ML, Ishida Y, Roca AL, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Influence of the geographic distribution of prion protein gene sequence variation on patterns of chronic wasting disease spread in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2018; 12:204-215. [PMID: 30041562 PMCID: PMC6277178 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2018.1474671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Managing and controlling the spread of diseases in wild animal populations is challenging, especially for social and mobile species. Effective management benefits from information about disease susceptibility, allowing limited resources to be focused on areas or populations with a higher risk of infection. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects cervids, was detected in Colorado in the late 1960s. CWD was detected in Illinois and Wisconsin in 2002 and has since spread through many counties. Specific nucleotide variations in the prion protein gene (PRNP) sequence have been associated with reduced susceptibility to CWD in white-tailed deer. Though genetic resistance is incomplete, the frequency of deer possessing these mutations in a population is an important factor in disease spread (i.e. herd immunity). In this study we sequenced 625 bp of the PRNP gene from a sampling of 2433 deer from Illinois and Wisconsin. In north-central Illinois where CWD was first detected, counties had a low frequency of protective haplotypes (frequency <0.20); whereas in northwestern Illinois counties, where CWD cases have only more recently been detected, the frequency of protective haplotypes (frequency >0.30) was much higher (p < 0.05). Protective haplotype frequencies varied significantly among infected and uninfected geographic areas. The frequency of protective PRNP haplotypes may contribute to population level susceptibility and may shape the way CWD has spread through Illinois. Analysis of PRNP haplotype distribution could be a useful tool to assess CWD risk and allocate resources to contain and reduce the spread of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Brandt
- a Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.,b Division of Natural Sciences , St. Norbert College , De Pere , Wisconsin , USA
| | - Michelle L Green
- a Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.,c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Yasuko Ishida
- c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- a Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.,c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Jan Novakofski
- c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- a Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.,c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
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42
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Haley NJ, Henderson DM, Wycoff S, Tennant J, Hoover EA, Love D, Kline E, Lehmkuhl A, Thomsen B. Chronic wasting disease management in ranched elk using rectal biopsy testing. Prion 2018; 12:93-108. [PMID: 29424295 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2018.1436925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting members of the cervid species, and is one of the few TSEs with an expanding geographic range. Diagnostic limitations, efficient transmission, and the movement of infected animals are important contributing factors in the ongoing spread of disease. Managing CWD in affected populations has proven difficult, relying on population reduction in the case of wild deer and elk, or quarantine and depopulation in farmed cervids. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of managing endemic CWD in a closed elk herd using antemortem sampling combined with both conventional and experimental diagnostic testing, and selective, targeted culling of infected animals. We hypothesized that the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, a developing amplification assay, would offer greater detection capabilities over immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the identification of infected animals using recto-anal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT). We further sought to develop a better understanding of CWD epidemiology in elk with various PRNP alleles, and predicted that CWD prevalence would decrease with targeted culling. We found that RT-QuIC identified significantly more CWD-positive animals than IHC using RAMALT tissues (121 vs. 86, respectively, out of 553 unique animals), and that longstanding disease presence was associated with an increasing frequency of less susceptible PRNP alleles. Prevalence of CWD increased significantly over the first two years of the study, implying that refinements in our management strategy are necessary to reduce the prevalence of CWD in this herd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Midwestern University , Glendale , AZ , USA
| | - Davin M Henderson
- b Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Sarah Wycoff
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Midwestern University , Glendale , AZ , USA
| | - Joanne Tennant
- b Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Edward A Hoover
- b Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Dan Love
- c Colorado Department of Agriculture , Animal Health Division , Broomfield , CO , USA
| | - Ed Kline
- c Colorado Department of Agriculture , Animal Health Division , Broomfield , CO , USA
| | - Aaron Lehmkuhl
- d United States Department of Agriculture , APHIS, VS, National Veterinary Services Laboratory , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Bruce Thomsen
- e United States Department of Agriculture , APHIS, VS, Center for Veterinary Biologics , Ames , IA , USA
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Dorak SJ, Green ML, Wander MM, Ruiz MO, Buhnerkempe MG, Tian T, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Clay content and pH: soil characteristic associations with the persistent presence of chronic wasting disease in northern Illinois. Sci Rep 2017; 7:18062. [PMID: 29273783 PMCID: PMC5741720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18321-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental reservoirs are important to infectious disease transmission and persistence, but empirical analyses are relatively few. The natural environment is a reservoir for prions that cause chronic wasting disease (CWD) and influences the risk of transmission to susceptible cervids. Soil is one environmental component demonstrated to affect prion infectivity and persistence. Here we provide the first landscape predictive model for CWD based solely on soil characteristics. We built a boosted regression tree model to predict the probability of the persistent presence of CWD in a region of northern Illinois using CWD surveillance in deer and soils data. We evaluated the outcome for possible pathways by which soil characteristics may increase the probability of CWD transmission via environmental contamination. Soil clay content and pH were the most important predictive soil characteristics of the persistent presence of CWD. The results suggest that exposure to prions in the environment is greater where percent clay is less than 18% and soil pH is greater than 6.6. These characteristics could alter availability of prions immobilized in soil and contribute to the environmental risk factors involved in the epidemiological complexity of CWD infection in natural populations of white-tailed deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena J Dorak
- Illinois Natural History Survey - Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Michelle L Green
- Illinois Natural History Survey - Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1503 S Maryland Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Michelle M Wander
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Marilyn O Ruiz
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2001 S Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61802, USA
| | - Michael G Buhnerkempe
- Illinois Natural History Survey - Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Ting Tian
- Illinois Natural History Survey - Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Jan E Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1503 S Maryland Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey - Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.
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Ricci A, Allende A, Bolton D, Chemaly M, Davies R, Fernández Escámez PS, Gironés R, Herman L, Koutsoumanis K, Lindqvist R, Nørrung B, Robertson L, Sanaa M, Skandamis P, Snary E, Speybroeck N, Ter Kuile B, Threlfall J, Wahlström H, Benestad S, Gavier-Widen D, Miller MW, Ru G, Telling GC, Tryland M, Ortiz Pelaez A, Simmons M. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. EFSA J 2017; 15:e04667. [PMID: 32625260 PMCID: PMC7010154 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In April and May of 2016, Norway confirmed two cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a wild reindeer and a wild moose, respectively. In the light of this emerging issue, the European Commission requested EFSA to recommend surveillance activities and, if necessary, additional animal health risk-based measures to prevent the introduction of the disease and the spread into/within the EU, specifically Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden, and considering seven wild, semidomesticated and farmed cervid species (Eurasian tundra reindeer, Finnish (Eurasian) forest reindeer, moose, roe deer, white-tailed deer, red deer and fallow deer). It was also asked to assess any new evidence on possible public health risks related to CWD. A 3-year surveillance system is proposed, differing for farmed and wild or semidomesticated cervids, with a two-stage sampling programme at the farm/geographically based population unit level (random sampling) and individual level (convenience sampling targeting high-risk animals). The current derogations of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1918 present a risk of introduction of CWD into the EU. Measures to prevent the spread of CWD within the EU are dependent upon the assumption that the disease is already present; this is currently unknown. The measures listed are intended to contain (limit the geographic extent of a focus) and/or to control (actively stabilise/reduce infection rates in an affected herd or population) the disease where it occurs. With regard to the zoonotic potential, the human species barrier for CWD prions does not appear to be absolute. These prions are present in the skeletal muscle and other edible tissues, so humans may consume infected material in enzootic areas. Epidemiological investigations carried out to date make no association between the occurrence of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and exposure to CWD prions.
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Tosa MI, Schauber EM, Nielsen CK. Localized removal affects white-tailed deer space use and contacts. J Wildl Manage 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie I. Tosa
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology; Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University; 1125 Lincoln Drive Carbondale IL USA
| | - Eric M. Schauber
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology; Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University; 1125 Lincoln Drive Carbondale IL USA
| | - Clayton K. Nielsen
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Department of Forestry; Southern Illinois University; 1125 Lincoln Drive Carbondale IL USA
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46
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Brandt AL, Kelly AC, Green ML, Shelton P, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Prion protein gene sequence and chronic wasting disease susceptibility in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2016; 9:449-62. [PMID: 26634768 PMCID: PMC4964855 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2015.1115179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The sequence of the prion protein gene (PRNP) affects susceptibility to spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases in many species. In white-tailed deer, both coding and non-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms have been identified in this gene that correlate to chronic wasting disease (CWD) susceptibility. Previous studies examined individual nucleotide or amino acid mutations; here we examine all nucleotide polymorphisms and their combined effects on CWD. A 626 bp region of PRNP was examined from 703 free-ranging white-tailed deer. Deer were sampled between 2002 and 2010 by hunter harvest or government culling in Illinois and Wisconsin. Fourteen variable nucleotide positions were identified (4 new and 10 previously reported). We identified 68 diplotypes comprised of 24 predicted haplotypes, with the most common diplotype occurring in 123 individuals. Diplotypes that were found exclusively among positive or negative animals were rare, each occurring in less than 1% of the deer studied. Only one haplotype (C, odds ratio 0.240) and 2 diplotypes (AC and BC, odds ratios of 0.161 and 0.108 respectively) has significant associations with CWD resistance. Each contains mutations (one synonymous nucleotide 555C/T and one nonsynonymous nucleotide 286G/A) at positions reported to be significantly associated with reduced CWD susceptibility. Results suggest that deer populations with higher frequencies of haplotype C or diplotypes AC and BC might have a reduced risk for CWD infection – while populations with lower frequencies may have higher risk for infection. Understanding the genetic basis of CWD has improved our ability to assess herd susceptibility and direct management efforts within CWD infected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Brandt
- a Illinois Natural History Survey ; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ; Urbana , IL USA
| | - Amy C Kelly
- a Illinois Natural History Survey ; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ; Urbana , IL USA
| | - Michelle L Green
- a Illinois Natural History Survey ; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ; Urbana , IL USA ;,b Department of Animal Sciences ; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ; Urbana , IL USA
| | - Paul Shelton
- c Illinois Department of Natural Resources ; Division of Wildlife Resources ; Springfield , IL USA
| | - Jan Novakofski
- b Department of Animal Sciences ; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ; Urbana , IL USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- a Illinois Natural History Survey ; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ; Urbana , IL USA ;,b Department of Animal Sciences ; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ; Urbana , IL USA
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Uehlinger FD, Johnston AC, Bollinger TK, Waldner CL. Systematic review of management strategies to control chronic wasting disease in wild deer populations in North America. BMC Vet Res 2016; 12:173. [PMID: 27549119 PMCID: PMC4994292 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0804-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious, fatal prion disease affecting cervids in a growing number of regions across North America. Projected deer population declines and concern about potential spread of CWD to other species warrant strategies to manage this disease. Control efforts to date have been largely unsuccessful, resulting in continuing spread and increasing prevalence. This systematic review summarizes peer-reviewed published reports describing field-applicable CWD control strategies in wild deer populations in North America using systematic review methods. Ten databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature. Following deduplication, relevance screening, full-text appraisal, subject matter expert review and qualitative data extraction, nine references were included describing four distinct management strategies. Results Six of the nine studies used predictive modeling to evaluate control strategies. All six demonstrated one or more interventions to be effective but results were dependant on parameters and assumptions used in the model. Three found preferential removal of CWD infected deer to be effective in reducing CWD prevalence; one model evaluated a test and slaughter strategy, the other selective removal of infected deer by predators and the third evaluated increased harvest of the sex with highest prevalence (males). Three models evaluated non-selective harvest of deer. There were only three reports that examined primary data collected as part of observational studies. Two of these studies supported the effectiveness of intensive non-selective culling; the third study did not find a difference between areas that were subjected to culling and those that were not. Seven of the nine studies were conducted in the United States. Conclusions This review highlights the paucity of evaluated, field-applicable control strategies for CWD in wild deer populations. Knowledge gaps in the complex epidemiology of CWD and the intricacies inherent to prion diseases currently pose significant challenges to effective control of this disease in wild deer in North America. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-016-0804-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- F D Uehlinger
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, S7N 5B4, Canada.
| | - A C Johnston
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - T K Bollinger
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - C L Waldner
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, S7N 5B4, Canada
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Nobert BR, Merrill EH, Pybus MJ, Bollinger TK, Hwang YT. Landscape connectivity predicts chronic wasting disease risk in Canada. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barry R. Nobert
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Evelyn H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Margo J. Pybus
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
- Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division; Government of Alberta; Edmonton AB T6H 4P2 Canada
| | - Trent K. Bollinger
- Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre; Western College of Veterinary Medicine; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon SK S7N 5B4 Canada
| | - Yeen Ten Hwang
- Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment; Government of Saskatchewan; Regina SK S4S 5W6 Canada
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Potapov A, Merrill E, Pybus M, Lewis MA. Chronic Wasting Disease: Transmission Mechanisms and the Possibility of Harvest Management. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151039. [PMID: 26963921 PMCID: PMC4786122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
We develop a model of CWD management by nonselective deer harvest, currently the most feasible approach available for managing CWD in wild populations. We use the model to explore the effects of 6 common harvest strategies on disease prevalence and to identify potential optimal harvest policies for reducing disease prevalence without population collapse. The model includes 4 deer categories (juveniles, adult females, younger adult males, older adult males) that may be harvested at different rates, a food-based carrying capacity, which influences juvenile survival but not adult reproduction or survival, and seasonal force of infection terms for each deer category under differing frequency-dependent transmission dynamics resulting from environmental and direct contact mechanisms. Numerical experiments show that the interval of transmission coefficients β where the disease can be controlled is generally narrow and efficiency of a harvest policy to reduce disease prevalence depends crucially on the details of the disease transmission mechanism, in particular on the intensity of disease transmission to juveniles and the potential differences in the behavior of older and younger males that influence contact rates. Optimal harvest policy to minimize disease prevalence for each of the assumed transmission mechanisms is shown to depend on harvest intensity. Across mechanisms, a harvest that focuses on antlered deer, without distinguishing between age classes reduces disease prevalence most consistently, whereas distinguishing between young and older antlered deer produces higher uncertainty in the harvest effects on disease prevalence. Our results show that, despite uncertainties, a modelling approach can determine classes of harvest strategy that are most likely to be effective in combatting CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Potapov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Mathematical Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Evelyn Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Margo Pybus
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mark A. Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Mathematical Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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50
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Schuler KL, Wetterau AM, Bunting EM, Mohammed HO. Exploring perceptions about chronic wasting disease risks among wildlife and agriculture professionals and stakeholders. WILDLIFE SOC B 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Krysten L. Schuler
- Animal Health Diagnostic Center; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; 240 Farrier Road Ithaca NY 14850 USA
| | - Alyssa M. Wetterau
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; 240 Farrier Road Ithaca NY 14850 USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Bunting
- Animal Health Diagnostic Center; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; 240 Farrier Road Ithaca NY 14850 USA
| | - Hussni O. Mohammed
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; 240 Farrier Road Ithaca NY 14850 USA
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