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Burgener K, Lichtenberg SS, Walsh DP, Inzalaco HN, Lomax A, Pedersen JA. Prion Seeding Activity in Plant Tissues Detected by RT-QuIC. Pathogens 2024; 13:452. [PMID: 38921750 PMCID: PMC11206635 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases such as scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and chronic wasting disease (CWD) affect domesticated and wild herbivorous mammals. Animals afflicted with CWD, the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids (deer, elk, and moose), shed prions into the environment, where they may persist and remain infectious for years. These environmental prions may remain in soil, be transported in surface waters, or assimilated into plants. Environmental sampling is an emerging area of TSE research and can provide more information about prion fate and transport once shed by infected animals. In this study, we have developed the first published method for the extraction and detection of prions in plant tissue using the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay. Incubation with a zwitterionic surfactant followed by precipitation with sodium phosphotungstate concentrates the prions within samples and allows for sensitive detection of prion seeding activity. Using this protocol, we demonstrate that prions can be detected within plant tissues and on plant surfaces using the RT-QuIC assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Burgener
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (K.B.)
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Stuart Siegfried Lichtenberg
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Heather N. Inzalaco
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Aaron Lomax
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
- Varizymes, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (K.B.)
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
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2
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Inzalaco HN, Brandell EE, Wilson SP, Hunsaker M, Stahler DR, Woelfel K, Walsh DP, Nordeen T, Storm DJ, Lichtenberg SS, Turner WC. Detection of prions from spiked and free-ranging carnivore feces. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3804. [PMID: 38360908 PMCID: PMC10869337 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44167-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly contagious, fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by infectious prions (PrPCWD) affecting wild and captive cervids. Although experimental feeding studies have demonstrated prions in feces of crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), coyotes (Canis latrans), and cougars (Puma concolor), the role of scavengers and predators in CWD epidemiology remains poorly understood. Here we applied the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay to detect PrPCWD in feces from cervid consumers, to advance surveillance approaches, which could be used to improve disease research and adaptive management of CWD. We assessed recovery and detection of PrPCWD by experimental spiking of PrPCWD into carnivore feces from 9 species sourced from CWD-free populations or captive facilities. We then applied this technique to detect PrPCWD from feces of predators and scavengers in free-ranging populations. Our results demonstrate that spiked PrPCWD is detectable from feces of free-ranging mammalian and avian carnivores using RT-QuIC. Results show that PrPCWD acquired in natural settings is detectable in feces from free-ranging carnivores, and that PrPCWD rates of detection in carnivore feces reflect relative prevalence estimates observed in the corresponding cervid populations. This study adapts an important diagnostic tool for CWD, allowing investigation of the epidemiology of CWD at the community-level.
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Affiliation(s)
- H N Inzalaco
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - E E Brandell
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - S P Wilson
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N 33rd St., P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE, 68503, USA
| | - M Hunsaker
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - D R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
| | - K Woelfel
- Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Program, 27264 MN-18, Garrison, MN, 56450, USA
| | - D P Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - T Nordeen
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N 33rd St., P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE, 68503, USA
| | - D J Storm
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Eau Claire, WI, 54701, USA
| | - S S Lichtenberg
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - W C Turner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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3
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Bartz JC, Benavente R, Caughey B, Christensen S, Herbst A, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK, McKenzie D, Morales R, Schwabenlander MD, Walsh DP. Chronic Wasting Disease: State of the Science. Pathogens 2024; 13:138. [PMID: 38392876 PMCID: PMC10892334 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervid species, both free-ranging and captive populations. As the geographic range continues to expand and disease prevalence continues to increase, CWD will have an impact on cervid populations, local economies, and ecosystem health. Mitigation of this "wicked" disease will require input from many different stakeholders including hunters, landowners, research biologists, wildlife managers, and others, working together. The NC1209 (North American interdisciplinary chronic wasting disease research consortium) is composed of scientists from different disciplines involved with investigating and managing CWD. Leveraging this broad breadth of expertise, the Consortium has created a state-of-the-science review of five key aspects of CWD, including current diagnostic capabilities for detecting prions, requirements for validating these diagnostics, the role of environmental transmission in CWD dynamics, and potential zoonotic risks associated with CWD. The goal of this review is to increase stakeholders', managers', and decision-makers' understanding of this disease informed by current scientific knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA;
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.B.); (R.M.)
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA;
| | - Sonja Christensen
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Allen Herbst
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA;
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (E.A.H.); (C.K.M.)
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (E.A.H.); (C.K.M.)
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada;
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.B.); (R.M.)
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile
| | - Marc D. Schwabenlander
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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4
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Yilmaz G, Morrill T, Pilot W, Ward C, Mitchell G, Soutyrine A, Dan H, Lin M, Guan J. Optimization of RT-QuIC Assay Duration for Screening Chronic Wasting Disease in White-Tailed Deer. Vet Sci 2024; 11:60. [PMID: 38393078 PMCID: PMC10891863 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11020060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays have become a common tool to detect chronic wasting disease (CWD) and are very sensitive provided the assay duration is sufficient. However, a prolonged assay duration may lead to non-specific signal amplification. The wide range of pre-defined assay durations in current RT-QuIC applications presents a need for methods to optimize the RT-QuIC assay. In this study, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to optimize the assay duration for CWD screening in obex and retropharyngeal lymph node (RLN) tissue specimens. Two different fluorescence thresholds were used: a fixed threshold based on background fluorescence (Tstdev) and a max-point ratio (maximum/background fluorescence) threshold (TMPR) to determine CWD positivity. The optimal assay duration was 33 h for obex and 30 h for RLN based on Tstdev, and 29 h for obex and 32 h for RLN based on TMPR. The optimized assay durations were then evaluated for screening CWD in white-tailed deer from an affected farm. At a replicate level, using the optimized assay durations with TStdev and TMPR, the level of agreement with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that when using a 40 h assay duration. These findings demonstrate that the optimization of assay duration via a ROC analysis can improve RT-QuIC assays for screening CWD in white-tailed deer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jiewen Guan
- Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, ON K2J 4S1, Canada
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5
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Pereira JC, Gonçalves-Anjo N, Orge L, Pires MA, Rocha S, Figueira L, Matos AC, Silva J, Mendonça P, Carvalho P, Tavares P, Lima C, Alves A, Esteves A, Pinto ML, Pires I, Gama A, Sargo R, Silva F, Seixas F, Vieira-Pinto M, Bastos E. Estimating sequence diversity of prion protein gene ( PRNP) in Portuguese populations of two cervid species: red deer and fallow deer. Prion 2023; 17:75-81. [PMID: 36945178 PMCID: PMC10038017 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2023.2191540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids is now a rising concern in wildlife within Europe, after the detection of the first case in Norway in 2016, in a wild reindeer and until June 2022 a total of 34 cases were described in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The definite diagnosis is post-mortem, performed in target areas of the brain and lymph nodes. Samples are first screened using a rapid test and, if positive, confirmed by immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblotting. The study of the genetics of the prion protein gene, PRNP, has been proved to be a valuable tool for determining the relative susceptibility to TSEs. In the present study, the exon 3 of PRNP gene of 143 samples from red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) of Portugal was analysed. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in red deer - codon A136A, codon T98A, codon Q226E - and no sequence variation was detected in fallow deer. The low genetic diversity found in our samples is compatible with previous studies in Europe. The comparison with results from North America suggests that the free-ranging deer from our study may present susceptibility to CWD, although lack of experimental data and the necessity of continuous survey are necessary to evaluate these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge C Pereira
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Nuno Gonçalves-Anjo
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Leonor Orge
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Maria A Pires
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Sara Rocha
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Luís Figueira
- Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB), Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - Ana C Matos
- Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB), Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - João Silva
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula Mendonça
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paulo Carvalho
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula Tavares
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Carla Lima
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Anabela Alves
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | | | - Maria L Pinto
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Isabel Pires
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Adelina Gama
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Roberto Sargo
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Filipe Silva
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Seixas
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Vila Real, Portugal
| | | | - Estela Bastos
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
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6
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Benavente R, Reed JH, Lockwood M, Morales R. PMCA screening of retropharyngeal lymph nodes in white-tailed deer and comparisons with ELISA and IHC. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20171. [PMID: 37978312 PMCID: PMC10656533 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47105-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervids. CWD diagnosis is conducted through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in retropharyngeal lymph nodes. Unfortunately, these techniques have limited sensitivity against the biomarker (CWD-prions). Two in vitro prion amplification techniques, real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), have shown promise in detecting CWD-prions in tissues and bodily fluids. Recent studies have demonstrated that RT-QuIC yields similar results compared to ELISA and IHC. Here, we analyzed 1003 retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLNs) from Texas white-tailed deer. PMCA detected CWD at a higher rate compared to ELISA/IHC, identified different prion strains, and revealed the presence of CWD-prions in places with no previous history. These findings suggest that PMCA exhibits greater sensitivity than current standard techniques and could be valuable for rapid and strain-specific CWD detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J Hunter Reed
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | | | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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7
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Bravo-Risi F, Soto P, Benavente R, Nichols TA, Morales R. Dynamics of CWD prion detection in feces and blood from naturally infected white-tailed deer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20170. [PMID: 37978207 PMCID: PMC10656452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46929-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervids. Confirmatory testing of CWD is currently performed postmortem in obex and lymphoid tissues. Extensive evidence demonstrates the presence of infectious prions in feces of CWD-infected deer using in vitro prion-amplification techniques and bioassays. In experimental conditions, this has been achieved as soon as 6-month post-inoculation, suggesting this sample type is a candidate for antemortem diagnosis. In the present study, we optimized the detection of CWD-prions in fecal samples from naturally infected, pre-clinical white-tailed deer by comparing protocols aiming to concentrate CWD-prions with direct spiking of the sample into the PMCA reactions. Results of this screening were compared with similar analyses made in blood. Our data shows that CWD-prion detection in feces using PMCA is best in the absence of sample pre-treatments. We performed a screening of 169 fecal samples, detecting CWD-prions with diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 54.81% and 98.46%, respectively. In addition, the PMCA seeding activity of 76 fecal samples was compared with that on blood of matched deer. Our findings, demonstrate that CWD-prions in feces and blood are increased at late pre-clinical stages, exhibiting similar detection in both sample types (> 90% sensitivity) when PrP96GG animals are tested. Our findings contribute to understand prion distribution across different biological samples and polymorphic variants in white-tailed deer. This information is also relevant for the current efforts to identify platforms to diagnose CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Bravo-Risi
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tracy A Nichols
- Veterinary Services Cervid Health Program, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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8
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Inzalaco HN, Bravo-Risi F, Morales R, Walsh DP, Storm DJ, Pedersen JA, Turner WC, Lichtenberg SS. Ticks harbor and excrete chronic wasting disease prions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7838. [PMID: 37188858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34308-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by infectious prions (PrPCWD) affecting cervids. Circulating PrPCWD in blood may pose a risk for indirect transmission by way of hematophagous ectoparasites acting as mechanical vectors. Cervids can carry high tick infestations and exhibit allogrooming, a common tick defense strategy between conspecifics. Ingestion of ticks during allogrooming may expose naïve animals to CWD, if ticks harbor PrPCWD. This study investigates whether ticks can harbor transmission-relevant quantities of PrPCWD by combining experimental tick feeding trials and evaluation of ticks from free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Using the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, we show that black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) fed PrPCWD-spiked blood using artificial membranes ingest and excrete PrPCWD. Combining results of RT-QuIC and protein misfolding cyclic amplification, we detected seeding activity from 6 of 15 (40%) pooled tick samples collected from wild CWD-infected white-tailed deer. Seeding activities in ticks were analogous to 10-1000 ng of CWD-positive retropharyngeal lymph node collected from deer upon which they were feeding. Estimates revealed a median infectious dose range of 0.3-42.4 per tick, suggesting that ticks can take up transmission-relevant amounts of PrPCWD and may pose a CWD risk to cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- H N Inzalaco
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - F Bravo-Risi
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - R Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - D P Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - D J Storm
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Eau Claire, WI, USA
| | - J A Pedersen
- Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - W C Turner
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - S S Lichtenberg
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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9
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Mathiason CK. Large animal models for chronic wasting disease. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:21-31. [PMID: 35113219 PMCID: PMC8811588 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03590-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative prion disease of cervid species including deer, elk, moose and reindeer. The disease has shown both geographic and species expansion since its discovery in the late 1960's and is now recognized in captive and free-ranging cervid populations in North America, Asia and Europe. The facile transmission of CWD is unique among prion diseases and has resulted in growing concern for cervid populations and human public health. The development of native cervid host models with longitudinal monitoring has revealed new insights about CWD pathogenesis and transmission dynamics. More than 20 years of experimental studies conducted in these models, using biologically relevant routes of infection, have led to better understanding of many aspect of CWD infections. This review addresses some of these insights, including: (i) the temporal intra-host trafficking of CWD prions in tissues and bodily fluids, (ii) the presence of infectivity shed in bodily excretions that may help explain the facile transmission of CWD, (iii) mother-to-offspring CWD transmission, (iv) the influence of some Prnp polymorphisms on CWD susceptibility, and (vi) continued development of vaccine strategies to mitigate CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- C K Mathiason
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States, 80523.
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10
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Standardization of Data Analysis for RT-QuIC-Based Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020309. [PMID: 36839581 PMCID: PMC9962701 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a disease affecting cervids and is caused by prions accumulating as pathogenic fibrils in lymphoid tissue and the central nervous system. Approaches for detecting CWD prions historically relied on antibody-based assays. However, recent advancements in protein amplification technology provided the foundation for a new class of CWD diagnostic tools. In particular, real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) has rapidly become a feasible option for CWD diagnosis. Despite its increased usage for CWD-focused research, there lacks a consensus regarding the interpretation of RT-QuIC data for diagnostic purposes. It is imperative then to identify a standardized and replicable method for determining CWD status from RT-QuIC data. Here, we assessed variables that could impact RT-QuIC results and explored the use of maxpoint ratios (maximumRFU/backgroundRFU) to improve the consistency of RT-QuIC analysis. We examined a variety of statistical analyses to retrospectively analyze CWD status based on RT-QuIC and ELISA results from 668 white-tailed deer lymph nodes. Our results revealed an MPR threshold of 2.0 for determining the rate of amyloid formation, and MPR analysis showed excellent agreement with independent ELISA results. These findings suggest that the use of MPR is a statistically viable option for normalizing between RT-QuIC experiments and defining CWD status.
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11
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Kraft CN, Denkers ND, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA. Longitudinal detection of prion shedding in nasal secretions of CWD-infected white-tailed deer. J Gen Virol 2023; 104:001825. [PMID: 36748533 PMCID: PMC10233467 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emergent prion disease spreading in cervid populations in North America, South Korea and Scandinavia. Rapid detection of CWD prions shed by live animals using minimally invasive methods remains an important need. Previous studies in deer, elk and hamsters have demonstrated prion replication in the nasal olfactory mucosa, yet the temporal profile of CWD prion shedding in nasal secretions has not been well characterized. Here we report nasal prion shedding in 18 deer orally exposed to low doses of CWD prions and monitored longitudinally by several parameters. Serially collected nasal swabs were assayed for CWD prion seeding activity using iron oxide magnetic extraction and real-time quaking-induced conversion (IOME RT-QuIC). These findings were correlated with the results from longitudinal tonsil biopsies, terminal tissues and PRNP genotype. We detected nasal prion shedding 3-16 months after the first positive tonsil biopsy in ten of the 18 deer; detectable shedding persisted thereafter in nine of the ten animals. Surprisingly, nasal swabs were negative in eight deer, even though all were CWD-infected as determined by tonsil biopsies and terminal tissue assays. Nasal shedding was detected more often in deer that were homozygous for glycine at codon 96, and those that were near or demonstrating symptoms of clinical disease shed earlier and more frequently, irrespective of prion exposure dose. The results of this study demonstrate nasal shedding of CWD prions that can be detected using minimally invasive nasal swab sampling and RT-QuIC analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn N. Kraft
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Nathaniel D. Denkers
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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12
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Jennelle CS, Walter WD, Crawford J, Rosenberry CS, Wallingford BD. Movement of white‐tailed deer in contrasting landscapes influences management of chronic wasting disease. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S. Jennelle
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 5463 West Broadway Avenue Forest Lake MN 55025 USA
| | - W. David Walter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 403 Forest Resources Building The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802 USA
| | - Joanne Crawford
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2118 Campus Drive SE, Suite 100 Rochester MN 55904 USA
| | - Christopher S. Rosenberry
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission 2001 Elmerton Avenue Harrisburg PA 17110 USA
| | - Bret D. Wallingford
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission 2001 Elmerton Avenue Harrisburg PA 17110 USA
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13
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Tewari D, Fasnacht M, Ritzman M, Livengood J, Bower J, Lehmkuhl A, Nichols T, Hamberg A, Brightbill K, Henderson D. Detection of chronic wasting disease in feces and recto-anal mucosal associated lymphoid tissues with RT-QuIC in a naturally infected farmed white-tailed deer herd. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:959555. [PMID: 36176702 PMCID: PMC9513346 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.959555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious prion disease affecting the cervids, including white-tailed deer (WTD) (Odocoileus virginianus). CWD is typically diagnosed postmortem in farmed cervids by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Amplification-based detection methods are newer generation tests currently being evaluated to improve the detection of prion disease. In addition to improving sensitivity, antemortem detection by amplification assays is a focus for improving disease control and management. In this study, we evaluate the use of real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) to detect CWD in fecal and recto-anal mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) samples from naturally infected farmed WTD herds at postmortem. We successfully detected the presence of CWD prions in WTD RAMALT with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 85.7% (n = 71) and in feces with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 60% (n = 69), utilizing RT-QuIC on samples collected postmortem. Seeding activity detected in RAMALT (15.3 ± 4.2%, n = 18) was much stronger than in feces (44.4 ± 4.2%, n = 15), as measured by cycle threshold (Ct) and rise in relative fluorescence in samples collected from the same WTD. Prion detection in the RAMALT (94.7%) and feces (70.5%) was highest when both obex and retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLNs) were positive for CWD via IHC. In the study group, we were also able to test prion protein gene variants and associated disease susceptibility. A majority of tested WTD were the CWD genotype (96 GG) and also harbored the highest percentage of positive animals (43.7%). The second highest population of WTD was the genotype 96 GS and had a CWD positivity rate of 37.5%. Each of these groups showed no difference in RAMALT or fecal detection of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepanker Tewari
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Deepanker Tewari
| | - Melinda Fasnacht
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Margaret Ritzman
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Julia Livengood
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Jessica Bower
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Aaron Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Tracy Nichols
- Veterinary Services Cervid Health Program, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Alex Hamberg
- Bureau of Animal Health, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Kevin Brightbill
- Bureau of Animal Health, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA, United States
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14
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Yuan Q, Rowden G, Wolf TM, Schwabenlander MD, Larsen PA, Bartelt-Hunt SL, Bartz JC. Sensitive detection of chronic wasting disease prions recovered from environmentally relevant surfaces. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 166:107347. [PMID: 35753198 PMCID: PMC9749837 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been identified in 30 states in the United States, four provinces in Canada, and recently emerged in Scandinavia. The association of CWD prions with environmental materials such as soil, plants, and surfaces may enhance the persistence of CWD prion infectivity in the environment exacerbating disease transmission. Identifying and quantifying CWD prions in the environment is significant for prion monitoring and disease transmission control. A systematic method for CWD prion quantification from associated environmental materials, however, does not exist. In this study, we developed an innovative method for extracting prions from swabs and recovering CWD prions swabbed from different types of surfaces including glass, stainless steel, and wood. We found that samples dried on swabs were unfavorable for prion extraction, with the greatest prion recovery from wet swabs. Using this swabbing technique, the recovery of CWD prions dried to glass or stainless steel was approximately 30% in most cases, whereas that from wood was undetectable by conventional prion immunodetection techniques. Real-time quake-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) analysis of these same samples resulted in an increase of the detection limit of CWD prions from stainless steel by 4 orders of magnitude. More importantly, the RT-QuIC detection of CWD prions recovered from stainless steel surfaces using this method was similar to the original CWD prion load applied to the surface. This combined surface swabbing and RT-QuIC detection method provides an ultrasensitive means for prion detection across many settings and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Yuan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, 68178, United States of America
| | - Gage Rowden
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States of America
| | - Tiffany M Wolf
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States of America
| | - Marc D Schwabenlander
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States of America
| | - Peter A Larsen
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States of America
| | - Shannon L Bartelt-Hunt
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Peter Kiewit Institute, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Omaha, Nebraska, 68182, United States of America
| | - Jason C Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, 68178, United States of America.
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15
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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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16
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Gene-Edited Cell Models to Study Chronic Wasting Disease. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030609. [PMID: 35337016 PMCID: PMC8950194 DOI: 10.3390/v14030609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. They are caused by the misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), PrPSc, and currently no options exist to prevent or cure prion diseases. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk and other cervids is considered the most contagious prion disease, with extensive shedding of infectivity into the environment. Cell culture models provide a versatile platform for convenient quantification of prions, for studying the molecular and cellular biology of prions, and for performing high-throughput screening of potential therapeutic compounds. Unfortunately, only a very limited number of cell lines are available that facilitate robust and persistent propagation of CWD prions. Gene-editing using programmable nucleases (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9 (CC9)) has proven to be a valuable tool for high precision site-specific gene modification, including gene deletion, insertion, and replacement. CC9-based gene editing was used recently for replacing the PrP gene in mouse and cell culture models, as efficient prion propagation usually requires matching sequence homology between infecting prions and prion protein in the recipient host. As expected, such gene-editing proved to be useful for developing CWD models. Several transgenic mouse models were available that propagate CWD prions effectively, however, mostly fail to reproduce CWD pathogenesis as found in the cervid host, including CWD prion shedding. This is different for the few currently available knock-in mouse models that seem to do so. In this review, we discuss the available in vitro and in vivo models of CWD, and the impact of gene-editing strategies.
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17
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Kincaid AE. The Role of the Nasal Cavity in the Pathogenesis of Prion Diseases. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112287. [PMID: 34835094 PMCID: PMC8621399 DOI: 10.3390/v13112287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by the entry and spread of infectious prion proteins (PrPSc) in the central nervous system (CNS). These diseases are endemic to certain mammalian animal species that use their sense of smell for a variety of purposes and therefore expose their nasal cavity (NC) to PrPSc in the environment. Prion diseases that affect humans are either inherited due to a mutation of the gene that encodes the prion protein, acquired by exposure to contaminated tissues or medical devices, or develop without a known cause (referred to as sporadic). The purpose of this review is to identify components of the NC that are involved in prion transport and to summarize the evidence that the NC serves as a route of entry (centripetal spread) and/or a source of shedding (centrifugal spread) of PrPSc, and thus plays a role in the pathogenesis of the TSEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony E Kincaid
- Departments of Pharmacy Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
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18
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Evaluation of Winter Ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) Collected from North American Elk (Cervus canadensis) in an Area of Chronic Wasting Disease Endemicity for Evidence of PrP CWD Amplification Using Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion Assay. mSphere 2021; 6:e0051521. [PMID: 34346708 PMCID: PMC8386475 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00515-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a progressive and fatal spongiform encephalopathy of deer and elk species, caused by a misfolded variant of the normal prion protein. Horizontal transmission of the misfolded CWD prion between animals is thought to occur through shedding in saliva and other forms of excreta. The role of blood in CWD transmission is less clear, though infectivity has been demonstrated in various blood fractions. Blood-feeding insects, including ticks, are known vectors for a range of bacterial and viral infections in animals and humans, though to date, there has been no evidence for their involvement in prion disease transmission. In the present study, we evaluated winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) collected from 136 North American elk (Cervus canadensis) in an area where CWD is endemic for evidence of CWD prion amplification using the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC). Although 30 elk were found to be CWD positive (22%) postmortem, amplifiable prions were found in just a single tick collected from an elk in advanced stages of CWD infection, with some evidence for prions in ticks collected from elk in mid-stage infection. These findings suggest that further investigation of ticks as reservoirs for prion disease may be warranted. IMPORTANCE This study reports the first finding of detectable levels of prions linked to chronic wasting disease in a tick collected from a clinically infected elk. Using the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC), “suspect” samples were also identified; these suspect ticks were more likely to have been collected from CWD-positive elk, though suspect amplification was also observed in ticks collected from CWD-negative elk. Observed levels were at the lower end of our detection limits, though our findings suggest that additional research evaluating ticks collected from animals in late-stage disease may be warranted to further evaluate the role of ticks as potential vectors of chronic wasting disease.
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19
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Prion Dissemination through the Environment and Medical Practices: Facts and Risks for Human Health. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005919. [PMID: 34319151 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00059-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [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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20
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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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21
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Ferreira NC, Charco JM, Plagenz J, Orru CD, Denkers ND, Metrick MA, Hughson AG, Griffin KA, Race B, Hoover EA, Castilla J, Nichols TA, Miller MW, Caughey B. Detection of chronic wasting disease in mule and white-tailed deer by RT-QuIC analysis of outer ear. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7702. [PMID: 33833330 PMCID: PMC8032746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87295-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Efforts to contain the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal, contagious prion disease of cervids, would be aided by the availability of additional diagnostic tools. RT-QuIC assays allow ultrasensitive detection of prion seeds in a wide variety of cervid tissues, fluids and excreta. The best documented antemortem diagnostic test involving RT-QuIC analysis targets lymphoid tissue in rectal biopsies. Here we have tested a more easily accessed specimen, ear pinna punches, using an improved RT-QuIC assay involving iron oxide magnetic extraction to detect CWD infections in asymptomatic mule and white-tailed deer. Comparison of multiple parts of the ear pinna indicated that a central punch spanning the auricular nerve provided the most consistent detection of CWD infection. When compared to results obtained from gold-standard retropharyngeal lymph node specimens, our RT-QuIC analyses of ear samples provided apparent diagnostic sensitivity (81%) and specificity (91%) that rivaled, or improved upon, those observed in previous analyses of rectal biopsies using RT-QuIC. These results provide evidence that RT-QuIC analysis of ear pinna punches may be a useful approach to detecting CWD infections in cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia C Ferreira
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Jorge M Charco
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Jakob Plagenz
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Christina D Orru
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Nathanial D Denkers
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael A Metrick
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Andrew G Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Karen A Griffin
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Wildlife Health Program, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Brent Race
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Edward 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
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | | | - Michael W Miller
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Wildlife Health Program, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA.
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22
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Hwang S, Greenlee JJ, Nicholson EM. Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion Detection of PrP Sc in Fecal Samples From Chronic Wasting Disease Infected White-Tailed Deer Using Bank Vole Substrate. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:643754. [PMID: 33748218 PMCID: PMC7969510 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.643754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that is fatal to free-range and captive cervids. CWD has been reported in the United States, Canada, South Korea, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and the case numbers in both wild and farmed cervids are increasing rapidly. Studies indicate that lateral transmission of cervids likely occurs through the shedding of infectious prions in saliva, feces, urine, and blood into the environment. Therefore, the detection of CWD early in the incubation time is advantageous for disease management. In this study, we adapt real-time quacking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays to detect the seeding activity of CWD prions in feces samples from clinical and preclinical white-tailed deer. By optimizing reaction conditions for temperature as well as the salt and salt concentration, prion seeding activity from both clinical and preclinical animals were detected by RT-QuIC. More specifically, all fecal samples collected from 6 to 30 months post inoculation showed seeding activity under the conditions of study. The combination of a highly sensitive detection tool paired with a sample type that may be collected non-invasively allows a useful tool to support CWD surveillance in wild and captive cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoun Hwang
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Justin J Greenlee
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Eric M Nicholson
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, United States
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23
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Arifin MI, Hannaoui S, Chang SC, Thapa S, Schatzl HM, Gilch S. Cervid Prion Protein Polymorphisms: Role in Chronic Wasting Disease Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052271. [PMID: 33668798 PMCID: PMC7956812 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease found in both free-ranging and farmed cervids. Susceptibility of these animals to CWD is governed by various exogenous and endogenous factors. Past studies have demonstrated that polymorphisms within the prion protein (PrP) sequence itself affect an animal's susceptibility to CWD. PrP polymorphisms can modulate CWD pathogenesis in two ways: the ability of the endogenous prion protein (PrPC) to convert into infectious prions (PrPSc) or it can give rise to novel prion strains. In vivo studies in susceptible cervids, complemented by studies in transgenic mice expressing the corresponding cervid PrP sequence, show that each polymorphism has distinct effects on both PrPC and PrPSc. It is not entirely clear how these polymorphisms are responsible for these effects, but in vitro studies suggest they play a role in modifying PrP epitopes crucial for PrPC to PrPSc conversion and determining PrPC stability. PrP polymorphisms are unique to one or two cervid species and most confer a certain degree of reduced susceptibility to CWD. However, to date, there are no reports of polymorphic cervid PrP alleles providing absolute resistance to CWD. Studies on polymorphisms have focused on those found in CWD-endemic areas, with the hope that understanding the role of an animal's genetics in CWD can help to predict, contain, or prevent transmission of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Immaculata Arifin
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Samia Hannaoui
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Sheng Chun Chang
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Simrika Thapa
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Hermann M. Schatzl
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (M.I.A.); (S.H.); (S.C.C.); (S.T.); (H.M.S.)
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Detection of Pathognomonic Biomarker PrP Sc and the Contribution of Cell Free-Amplification Techniques to the Diagnosis of Prion Diseases. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10030469. [PMID: 32204429 PMCID: PMC7175149 DOI: 10.3390/biom10030469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases are rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases, the clinical manifestation of which can resemble other promptly evolving neurological maladies. Therefore, the unequivocal ante-mortem diagnosis is highly challenging and was only possible by histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of the brain at necropsy. Although surrogate biomarkers of neurological damage have become invaluable to complement clinical data and provide more accurate diagnostics at early stages, other neurodegenerative diseases show similar alterations hindering the differential diagnosis. To solve that, the detection of the pathognomonic biomarker of disease, PrPSc, the aberrantly folded isoform of the prion protein, could be used. However, the amounts in easily accessible tissues or body fluids at pre-clinical or early clinical stages are extremely low for the standard detection methods. The solution comes from the recent development of in vitro prion propagation techniques, such as Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and Real Time-Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), which have been already applied to detect minute amounts of PrPSc in different matrixes and make early diagnosis of prion diseases feasible in a near future. Herein, the most relevant tissues and body fluids in which PrPSc has been detected in animals and humans are being reviewed, especially those in which cell-free prion propagation systems have been used with diagnostic purposes.
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Tennant JM, Li M, Henderson DM, Tyer ML, Denkers ND, Haley NJ, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA. Shedding and stability of CWD prion seeding activity in cervid feces. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227094. [PMID: 32126066 PMCID: PMC7053746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
CWD is an emergent prion disease that now affects cervid species on three continents. CWD is efficiently spread in wild and captive populations, likely through both direct animal contact and environmental contamination. Here, by longitudinally assaying in feces of CWD-exposed white-tailed deer by RT-QuIC, we demonstrate fecal shedding of prion seeding activity months before onset of clinical symptoms and continuing throughout the disease course. We also examine the impact of simulated environmental conditions such as repeated freeze-thaw cycles and desiccation on fecal prion seeding activity. We found that while multiple (n = 7) freeze-thaw cycles substantially decreased fecal seeding activity, desiccation had little to no effect on seeding activity. Finally, we examined whether RT-QuIC testing of landscape fecal deposits could distinguish two premises with substantial known CWD prevalence from one in which no CWD-infected animals had been detected. In the above pilot study, this distinction was possible. We conclude that fecal shedding of CWD prions occurs over much of the disease course, that environmental factors influence prion seeding activity, and that it is feasible to detect fecal prion contamination using RT-QuIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne M. Tennant
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Manci Li
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Davin M. Henderson
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Margaret L. Tyer
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel D. Denkers
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J. Haley
- Midwestern University, College of Graduate Studies, Glendale, AZ, United States of America
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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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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27
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Haley N, Donner R, Henderson D, Tennant J, Hoover E, Manca M, Caughey B, Kondru N, Manne S, Kanthasamay A, Hannaoui S, Chang S, Gilch S, Smiley S, Mitchell G, Lehmkuhl A, Thomsen B. Cross-validation of the RT-QuIC assay for the antemortem detection of chronic wasting disease in elk. Prion 2020; 14:47-55. [PMID: 31973662 PMCID: PMC6984646 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1716657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease is a progressively fatal, horizontally transmissible prion disease affecting several members of the cervid species. Conventional diagnosis relies on ELISA or IHC evaluation using tissues collected post-mortem; however, recent research has focused on newly developed amplification techniques using samples collected antemortem. The present study sought to cross-validate the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) evaluation of rectal biopsies collected from an elk herd with endemic CWD, assessing both binary positive/negative test results as well as relative rates of amplification between laboratories. We found that results were correlative in both categories across all laboratories performing RT-QuIC, as well as to conventional IHC performed at a national reference laboratory. A significantly higher number of positive samples were identified using RT-QuIC, with results seemingly unhindered by low follicle counts. These findings support the continued development and implementation of amplification assays in the diagnosis of prion diseases of veterinary importance, targeting not just antemortem sampling strategies, but post-mortem testing approaches as well.
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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
| | - R. Donner
- 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
| | - 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
| | - M. Manca
- TSE/Prion Biochemistry Section, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - B. Caughey
- TSE/Prion Biochemistry Section, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - N. Kondru
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - S. Manne
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - A. Kanthasamay
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - S. Hannaoui
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S.C. Chang
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S. Gilch
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S. Smiley
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection, Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - G. Mitchell
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection, Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - A.D. Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, USA
| | - B.V. Thomsen
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, USA,United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, VS, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Ames, IA, USA
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Bistaffa E, Vuong TT, Cazzaniga FA, Tran L, Salzano G, Legname G, Giaccone G, Benestad SL, Moda F. Use of different RT-QuIC substrates for detecting CWD prions in the brain of Norwegian cervids. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18595. [PMID: 31819115 PMCID: PMC6901582 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55078-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly contagious prion disease affecting captive and free-ranging cervid populations. CWD has been detected in United States, Canada, South Korea and, most recently, in Europe (Norway, Finland and Sweden). Animals with CWD release infectious prions in the environment through saliva, urine and feces sustaining disease spreading between cervids but also potentially to other non-cervids ruminants (e.g. sheep, goats and cattle). In the light of these considerations and due to CWD unknown zoonotic potential, it is of utmost importance to follow specific surveillance programs useful to minimize disease spreading and transmission. The European community has already in place specific surveillance measures, but the traditional diagnostic tests performed on nervous or lymphoid tissues lack sensitivity. We have optimized a Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) assay for detecting CWD prions with high sensitivity and specificity to try to overcome this problem. In this work, we show that bank vole prion protein (PrP) is an excellent substrate for RT-QuIC reactions, enabling the detection of trace-amounts of CWD prions, regardless of prion strain and cervid species. Beside supporting the traditional diagnostic tests, this technology could be exploited for detecting prions in peripheral tissues from live animals, possibly even at preclinical stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Bistaffa
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Federico Angelo Cazzaniga
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | - Linh Tran
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | - Giulia Salzano
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giaccone
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Moda
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy.
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29
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Haley NJ, Merrett K, Buros Stein A, Simpson D, Carlson A, Mitchell G, Staskevicius A, Nichols T, Lehmkuhl AD, Thomsen BV. Estimating relative CWD susceptibility and disease progression in farmed white-tailed deer with rare PRNP alleles. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224342. [PMID: 31790424 PMCID: PMC6886763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease affecting both free-ranging and farmed cervids in North America and Scandinavia. A range of cervid species have been found to be susceptible, each with variations in the gene for the normal prion protein, PRNP, reportedly influencing both disease susceptibility and progression in the respective hosts. Despite the finding of several different PRNP alleles in white-tailed deer, the majority of past research has focused on two of the more common alleles identified-the 96G and 96S alleles. In the present study, we evaluate both infection status and disease stage in nearly 2100 farmed deer depopulated in the United States and Canada, including 714 CWD-positive deer and correlate our findings with PRNP genotype, including the more rare 95H, 116G, and 226K alleles. We found significant differences in either likelihood of being found infected or disease stage (and in many cases both) at the time of depopulation in all genotypes present, relative to the most common 96GG genotype. Despite high prevalence in many of the herds examined, infection was not found in several of the reported genotypes. These findings suggest that additional research is necessary to more properly define the role that these genotypes may play in managing CWD in both farmed and free-ranging white-tailed deer, with consideration for factors including relative fitness levels, incubation periods, and the kinetics of shedding in animals with these rare genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Kahla Merrett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Amy Buros Stein
- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Dennis Simpson
- Simpson Whitetails Genetic Testing, Belleville, Michigan
| | - Andrew Carlson
- Simpson Whitetails Genetic Testing, Belleville, Michigan
| | - Gordon Mitchell
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Antanas Staskevicius
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tracy Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Cervid Health Program, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Aaron D. Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Bruce V. Thomsen
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
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30
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Modified Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification Overcomes Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion Assay Inhibitors in Deer Saliva To Detect Chronic Wasting Disease Prions. J Clin Microbiol 2018; 56:JCM.00947-18. [PMID: 29950332 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00947-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurodegenerative prion disease of cervids, has spread across North America and has been detected in The Republic of Korea, Finland, and Norway. CWD appears to spread by horizontal transmission, and prions shed in saliva, feces, and urine are thought to contribute. However, studies investigating the rapid spread of CWD have been hampered by assay inhibitors and a lack of consistent and sensitive means to detect the relatively low levels of prions in these samples. Here we show that saliva frequently contains an inhibitor of the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) and that the inhibitor is a member of the mucin family. To circumvent the inhibitor, we developed a modified protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) method to amplify CWD prions in saliva that were undetectable or ambiguous by RT-QuIC. Our results reinforce the impact of saliva in horizontal CWD transmission and highlight the importance of detection optimization.
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31
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Haley NJ, Richt JA, Davenport KA, Henderson DM, Hoover EA, Manca M, Caughey B, Marthaler D, Bartz J, Gilch S. Design, implementation, and interpretation of amplification studies for prion detection. Prion 2018; 12:73-82. [PMID: 29468946 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2018.1443000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Amplification assays for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies have been in development for close to 15 years, with critical implications for the postmortem and antemortem diagnosis of human and animal prion diseases. Little has been published regarding the structured development, implementation and interpretation of experiments making use of protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) and real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), and our goal with this Perspectives manuscript is to offer a framework which might allow for more efficient expansion of pilot studies into diagnostic trials in both human and animal subjects. This framework is made up of approaches common to diagnostic medicine, including a thorough understanding of analytical and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, an a priori development of amplification strategy, and an effective experimental design. It is our hope that a structured framework for prion amplification assays will benefit not only experiments seeking to sensitively detect naturally-occurring cases of prion diseases and describe the pathogenesis of TSEs, but ultimately assist with future endeavors seeking to use these methods more broadly for other protein misfolding disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Midwestern University , Glendale , AZ , USA
| | - Jürgen A Richt
- b College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU) , Manhattan , KS , USA
| | - Kristen A Davenport
- c Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Davin M Henderson
- c 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
- c Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology , Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Matteo Manca
- d Department of Medicine , Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus , London , UK
| | - Byron Caughey
- e TSE/Prion Biochemistry Section, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease , Hamilton , MT , USA
| | - Douglas Marthaler
- b College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU) , Manhattan , KS , USA
| | - Jason Bartz
- f Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology , Creighton University , Omaha , NE , USA
| | - Sabine Gilch
- g Department of Ecosystem and Public Health , Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
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32
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Assessment of Chronic Wasting Disease Prion Shedding in Deer Saliva with Occupancy Modeling. J Clin Microbiol 2017; 56:JCM.01243-17. [PMID: 29118163 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01243-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The detection of prions is difficult due to the peculiarity of the pathogen, which is a misfolded form of a normal protein. The specificity and sensitivity of detection methods are imperfect in complex samples, including in excreta. Here, we combined optimized prion amplification procedures with a statistical method that accounts for false-positive and false-negative errors to test deer saliva for chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions. This approach enabled us to discriminate the shedding of prions in saliva and the detection of prions in saliva-a distinction crucial to understanding the role of prion shedding in disease transmission and for diagnosis. We found that assay sensitivity and specificity were indeed imperfect, and we were able to draw several conclusions pertinent to CWD biology from our analyses: (i) the shedding of prions in saliva increases with time postinoculation, but is common throughout the preclinical phase of disease; (ii) the shedding propensity is influenced neither by sex nor by prion protein genotype at codon 96; and (iii) the source of prion-containing inoculum used to infect deer affects the likelihood of prion shedding in saliva; oral inoculation of deer with CWD-positive saliva resulted in 2.77 times the likelihood of prion shedding in saliva compared to that from inoculation with CWD-positive brain. These results are pertinent to horizontal CWD transmission in wild cervids. Moreover, the approach described is applicable to other diagnostic assays with imperfect detection.
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33
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Haley NJ, Richt JA. Evolution of Diagnostic Tests for Chronic Wasting Disease, a Naturally Occurring Prion Disease of Cervids. Pathogens 2017; 6:pathogens6030035. [PMID: 28783058 PMCID: PMC5617992 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6030035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Since chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first identified nearly 50 years ago in a captive mule deer herd in the Rocky Mountains of the United States, it has slowly spread across North America through the natural and anthropogenic movement of cervids and their carcasses. As the endemic areas have expanded, so has the need for rapid, sensitive, and cost effective diagnostic tests—especially those which take advantage of samples collected antemortem. Over the past two decades, strategies have evolved from the recognition of microscopic spongiform pathology and associated immunohistochemical staining of the misfolded prion protein to enzyme-linked immunoassays capable of detecting the abnormal prion conformer in postmortem samples. In a history that parallels the diagnosis of more conventional infectious agents, both qualitative and real-time amplification assays have recently been developed to detect minute quantities of misfolded prions in a range of biological and environmental samples. With these more sensitive and semi-quantitative approaches has come a greater understanding of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of this disease in the native host. Because the molecular pathogenesis of prion protein misfolding is broadly analogous to the misfolding of other pathogenic proteins, including Aβ and α-synuclein, efforts are currently underway to apply these in vitro amplification techniques towards the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other proteinopathies. Chronic wasting disease—once a rare disease of Colorado mule deer—now represents one of the most prevalent prion diseases, and should serve as a model for the continued development and implementation of novel diagnostic strategies for protein misfolding disorders in the natural host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA.
| | - Jürgen A Richt
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU), Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
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