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Piel RB, Veneziano SE, Nicholson EM, Walsh DP, Lomax AD, Nichols TA, Seabury CM, Schneider DA. Validation of a real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay protocol to detect chronic wasting disease using rectal mucosa of naturally infected, pre-clinical white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303037. [PMID: 38870153 PMCID: PMC11175469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease of cervids spreading across North America. More effective mitigation efforts may require expansion of the available toolkit to include new methods that provide earlier antemortem detection, higher throughput, and less expense than current immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. The rectal mucosa near the rectoanal junction is a site of early accumulation of CWD prions and is safely sampled in living animals by pinch biopsy. A fluorescence-based, 96-well format, protein-aggregation assay-the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay-is capable of ultra-sensitive detection of CWD prions. Notably, the recombinant protein substrate is crucial to the assay's performance and is now commercially available. In this blinded independent study, the preclinical diagnostic performance of a standardized RT-QuIC protocol using a commercially sourced substrate (MNPROtein) and a laboratory-produced substrate was studied using mock biopsy samples of the rectal mucosa from 284 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The samples were from a frozen archive of intact rectoanal junctions collected at depopulations of farmed herds positive for CWD in the United States. All deer were pre-clinical at the time of depopulation and infection status was established from the regulatory record, which evaluated the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes (MRPLNs) and obex by CWD-IHC. A pre-analytic sample precipitation step was found to enhance the protocol's detection limit. Performance metrics were influenced by the choice of RT-QuIC diagnostic cut points (minimum number of positive wells and assay time) and by deer attributes (preclinical infection stage and prion protein genotype). The peak overall diagnostic sensitivities of the protocol were similar for both substrates (MNPROtein, 76.8%; laboratory-produced, 73.2%), though each was achieved at different cut points. Preclinical infection stage and prion protein genotype at codon 96 (G = glycine, S = serine) were primary predictors of sensitivity. The diagnostic sensitivities in late preclinical infections (CWD-IHC positive MPRLNs and obex) were similar, ranging from 96% in GG96 deer to 80% in xS96 deer (x = G or S). In early preclinical infections (CWD-IHC positive MRPLNs only), the diagnostic sensitivity was 64-71% in GG96 deer but only 25% in xS96 deer. These results demonstrate that this standardized RT-QuIC protocol for rectal biopsy samples using a commercial source of substrate produced stratified diagnostic sensitivities similar to or greater than those reported for CWD-IHC but in less than 30 hours of assay time and in a 96-well format. Notably, the RT-QuIC protocol used herein represents a standardization of protocols from several previous studies. Alignment of the sensitivities across these studies suggests the diagnostic performance of the assay is robust given quality reagents, optimized diagnostic criteria, and experienced staff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B. Piel
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Disease Research Unit, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Susan E. Veneziano
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Eric M. Nicholson
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Aaron D. Lomax
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Tracy A. Nichols
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Seabury
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - David A. Schneider
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Disease Research Unit, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
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Barrile GM, Cross PC, Stewart C, Malmberg J, Jakopak RP, Binfet J, Monteith KL, Werner B, Jennings‐Gaines J, Merkle JA. Chronic wasting disease alters the movement behavior and habitat use of mule deer during clinical stages of infection. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11418. [PMID: 38779534 PMCID: PMC11108800 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Integrating host movement and pathogen data is a central issue in wildlife disease ecology that will allow for a better understanding of disease transmission. We examined how adult female mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) responded behaviorally to infection with chronic wasting disease (CWD). We compared movement and habitat use of CWD-infected deer (n = 18) to those that succumbed to starvation (and were CWD-negative by ELISA and IHC; n = 8) and others in which CWD was not detected (n = 111, including animals that survived the duration of the study) using GPS collar data from two distinct populations collared in central Wyoming, USA during 2018-2022. CWD and predation were the leading causes of mortality during our study (32/91 deaths attributed to CWD and 27/91 deaths attributed to predation). Deer infected with CWD moved slower and used lower elevation areas closer to rivers in the months preceding death compared with uninfected deer that did not succumb to starvation. Although CWD-infected deer and those that died of starvation moved at similar speeds during the final months of life, CWD-infected deer used areas closer to streams with less herbaceous biomass than starved deer. These behavioral differences may allow for the development of predictive models of disease status from movement data, which will be useful to supplement field and laboratory diagnostics or when mortalities cannot be quickly retrieved to assess cause-specific mortality. Furthermore, identifying individuals who are sick before predation events could help to assess the extent to which disease mortality is compensatory with predation. Finally, infected animals began to slow down around 4 months prior to death from CWD. Our approach for detecting the timing of infection-induced shifts in movement behavior may be useful in application to other disease systems to better understand the response of wildlife to infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M. Barrile
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMontanaUSA
| | | | - Jennifer Malmberg
- Department of Veterinary SciencesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- USDA‐APHIS, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Rhiannon P. Jakopak
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | | | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Zoology and Physiology, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | | | | | - Jerod A. Merkle
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
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Didier A, Bourner M, Kleks G, Zolty A, Kumar B, Nichols T, Durynski K, Bender S, Gibison M, Murphy L, Ellis JC, Dong DW, Kashina A. Prospective fecal microbiomic biomarkers for chronic wasting disease. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0375022. [PMID: 38299851 PMCID: PMC10913453 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03750-22] [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: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a naturally occurring prion disease in cervids that has been rapidly proliferating in the United States. Here, we investigated a potential link between CWD infection and gut microbiome by analyzing 50 fecal samples obtained from CWD-positive animals of different sexes from various regions in the USA compared to 50 CWD-negative controls using high throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA and targeted metabolomics. Our analysis reveals promising trends in the gut microbiota that could potentially be CWD-dependent, including several bacterial taxa at each rank level, as well as taxa pairs, that can differentiate between CWD-negative and CWD-positive deer. Through machine-learning, these taxa and taxa pairs at each rank level could facilitate identification of around 70% of both the CWD-negative and the CWD-positive samples. Our results provide a potential tool for diagnostics and surveillance of CWD in the wild, as well as conceptual advances in our understanding of the disease.IMPORTANCEThis is a comprehensive study that tests the connection between the composition of the gut microbiome in deer in response to chronic wasting disease (CWD). We analyzed 50 fecal samples obtained from CWD-positive animals compared to 50 CWD-negative controls to identify CWD-dependent changes in the gut microbiome, matched with the analysis of fecal metabolites. Our results show promising trends suggesting that fecal microbial composition can directly correspond to CWD disease status. These results point to the microbial composition of the feces as a potential tool for diagnostics and surveillance of CWD in the wild, including non-invasive CWD detection in asymptomatic deer and deer habitats, and enable conceptual advances in our understanding of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Didier
- MilliporeSigma, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Guy Kleks
- Sigma Aldrich Israel Ltd., Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Avihai Zolty
- Sigma Aldrich Israel Ltd., Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Brajendra Kumar
- Sigma Aldrich Chemical Pvt. Ltd., Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tracy Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Karie Durynski
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Susan Bender
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michelle Gibison
- Wildlife Futures Program, Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa Murphy
- Wildlife Futures Program, Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Julie C. Ellis
- Wildlife Futures Program, Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dawei W. Dong
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anna Kashina
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Soto P, Bravo-Risi F, Kramm C, Gamez N, Benavente R, Bonilla DL, Reed JH, Lockwood M, Spraker TR, Nichols T, Morales R. Nasal bots carry relevant titers of CWD prions in naturally infected white-tailed deer. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:334-350. [PMID: 38191872 PMCID: PMC10883265 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-023-00003-7] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting farmed and free-ranging cervids. CWD is rapidly expanding across North America and its mechanisms of transmission are not completely understood. Considering that cervids are commonly afflicted by nasal bot flies, we tested the potential of these parasites to transmit CWD. Parasites collected from naturally infected white-tailed deer were evaluated for their prion content using the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) technology and bioassays. Here, we describe PMCA seeding activity in nasal bot larvae collected from naturally infected, nonclinical deer. These parasites efficiently infect CWD-susceptible mice in ways suggestive of high infectivity titers. To further mimic environmental transmission, bot larvae homogenates were mixed with soils, and plants were grown on them. We show that both soils and plants exposed to CWD-infected bot homogenates displayed seeding activity by PMCA. This is the first report describing prion infectivity in a naturally occurring deer parasite. Our data also demonstrate that CWD prions contained in nasal bots interact with environmental components and may be relevant for disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Soto
- 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
| | - Francisca 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
| | - Carlos Kramm
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nazaret Gamez
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Denise L Bonilla
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - J Hunter Reed
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | | | - Terry R Spraker
- Colorado State University Diagnostic Medical Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Tracy Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Rodrigo 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.
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5
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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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6
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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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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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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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Fameli AF, Edson J, Banfield JE, Rosenberry CS, Walter WD. Variability in prion protein genotypes by spatial unit to inform susceptibility to chronic wasting disease. Prion 2022; 16:254-264. [PMID: 36104983 PMCID: PMC9481152 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2022.2117535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal encephalopathy affecting North American cervids. Certain alleles in a host's prion protein gene are responsible for reduced susceptibility to CWD. We assessed for the first time variability in the prion protein gene of elk (Cervus canadensis) present in Pennsylvania, United States of America, a reintroduced population for which CWD cases have never been reported. We sequenced the prion protein gene (PRNP) of 565 elk samples collected over 7 years (2014-2020) and found two polymorphic sites (codon 21 and codon 132). The allele associated with reduced susceptibility to CWD is present in the population, and there was no evidence of deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in any of our sampling years (p-values between 0.14 and 1), consistent with the lack of selective pressure on the PRNP. The less susceptible genotypes were found in a frequency similar to the ones reported for elk populations in the states of Wyoming and South Dakota before CWD was detected. We calculated the proportion of less susceptible genotypes in each hunt zone in Pennsylvania as a proxy for their vulnerability to the establishment of CWD, and interpolated these results to obtain a surface representing expected proportion of the less susceptible genotypes across the area. Based on this analysis, hunt zones located in the southern part of our study area have a low proportion of less susceptible genotypes, which is discouraging for elk persistence in Pennsylvania given that these hunt zones are adjacent to the deer Disease Management Area 3, where CWD has been present since 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto F. Fameli
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA,CONTACT Alberto F. Fameli Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802, USA
| | - Jessie Edson
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Jeremiah E. Banfield
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, 2001 Elmerton Avenue,Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Christopher S. Rosenberry
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, 2001 Elmerton Avenue,Harrisburg, PA, 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, USA
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Burgener KR, Lichtenberg SS, Lomax A, Storm DJ, Walsh DP, Pedersen JA. Diagnostic testing of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) by RT-QuIC using multiple tissues. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274531. [PMID: 36383520 PMCID: PMC9668146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease affecting cervids (deer, elk, moose). Current methods to monitor individual disease state include highly invasive antemortem rectal biopsy or postmortem brain biopsy. Efficient, sensitive, and selective antemortem and postmortem testing of populations would increase knowledge of the dynamics of CWD epizootics as well as provide a means to track CWD progression into previously unaffected areas. Here, we analyzed the presence of CWD prions in skin samples from two easily accessed locations (ear and belly) from 30 deceased white-tailed deer (Odocoileus viginianus). The skin samples were enzymatically digested and analyzed by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC). The diagnostic sensitivity of the ear and belly skin samples were both 95%, and the diagnostic specificity of the ear and belly skin were both 100%. Additionally, the location of the skin biopsy on the ear does not affect specificity or sensitivity. These results demonstrate the efficacy of CWD diagnosis with skin biopsies using RT-QuIC. This method could be useful for large scale antemortem population testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate R. Burgener
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United Sates of America
| | - Stuart S. Lichtenberg
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Aaron Lomax
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Storm
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United Sates of America
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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11
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Hanley BJ, Carstensen M, Walsh DP, Christensen SA, Storm DJ, Booth JG, Guinness J, Them CE, Ahmed MS, Schuler KL. Informing Surveillance through the Characterization of Outbreak Potential of Chronic Wasting Disease in White-Tailed Deer. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Brandell EE, Cross PC, Smith DW, Rogers W, Galloway N, MacNulty DR, Stahler DR, Treanor J, Hudson PJ. Examination of the interaction between age-specific predation and chronic disease in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1373-1384. [PMID: 34994978 PMCID: PMC9912199 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Predators may create healthier prey populations by selectively removing diseased individuals. Predators typically prefer some ages of prey over others, which may, or may not, align with those prey ages that are most likely to be diseased. The interaction of age-specific infection and predation has not been previously explored and likely has sizable effects on disease dynamics. We hypothesize that predator cleansing effects will be greater when the disease and predation occur in the same prey age groups. We examine the predator cleansing effect using a model where both vulnerability to predators and pathogen prevalence vary with age. We tailor this model to chronic wasting disease (CWD) in mule deer and elk populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with empirical data from Yellowstone grey wolves and cougars. Model results suggest that under moderate, yet realistic, predation pressure from cougars and wolves independently, predators may decrease CWD outbreak size substantially and delay the accumulation of symptomatic deer and elk. The magnitude of this effect is driven by the ability of predators to selectively remove late-stage CWD infections that are likely the most responsible for transmission, but this may not be the age class they typically select. Thus, predators that select for infected young adults over uninfected juveniles have a stronger cleansing effect, and these effects are strengthened when transmission rates increase with increasing prey morbidity. There are also trade-offs from a management perspective-that is, increasing predator kill rates can result in opposing forces on prey abundance and CWD prevalence. Our modelling exploration shows that predators have the potential to reduce prevalence in prey populations when prey age and disease severity are considered, yet the strength of this effect is influenced by predators' selection for demography or body condition. Current CWD management focuses on increasing cervid hunting as the primary management tool, and our results suggest predators may also be a useful tool under certain conditions, but not necessarily without additional impacts on host abundance and demography. Protected areas with predator populations will play a large role in informing the debate over predator impacts on disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen E. Brandell
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA,Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMTUSA
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for ResourcesYellowstone National ParkWyomingWYUSA
| | - Will Rogers
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | | | | | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for ResourcesYellowstone National ParkWyomingWYUSA
| | - John Treanor
- Yellowstone Center for ResourcesYellowstone National ParkWyomingWYUSA
| | - Peter J. Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
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13
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Ketz AC, Robinson SJ, Johnson CJ, Samuel MD. Pathogen‐mediated selection and management implications for white‐tailed deer exposed to chronic wasting disease. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison C. Ketz
- Wisconsin Cooperative Research Unit Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison WI USA
| | - Stacie J. Robinson
- NOAA Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Honolulu HI USA
| | - Chad J. Johnson
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology University of Wisconsin Madison WI USA
| | - Michael D. Samuel
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison WI USA
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14
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Fisher MC, Prioreschi RA, Wolfe LL, Runge JP, Griffin KA, Swanson HM, Miller MW. Apparent stability masks underlying change in a mule deer herd with unmanaged chronic wasting disease. Commun Biol 2022; 5:15. [PMID: 35017638 PMCID: PMC8752592 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02951-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The contagious prion disease "chronic wasting disease" (CWD) infects mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and related species. Unchecked epidemics raise ecological, socioeconomic, and public health concerns. Prion infection shortens a deer's lifespan, and when prevalence (proportion of adults infected) becomes sufficiently high CWD can affect herd dynamics. Understanding population responses over time is key to forecasting long-term impacts. Here we describe unexpected stability in prevalence and abundance in a mule deer herd where CWD has been left unmanaged. High apparent prevalence (~30%) since at least 2005 likely drove observed changes in the proportion and age distribution of wild-type native prion protein (PRNP) gene homozygotes among deer sampled. Predation by mountain lions (Puma concolor) may be helping keep CWD in check. Despite stable appearances, prion disease nonetheless impairs adult survival and likely resilience in this deer herd, limiting its potential for growth despite refuge from hunter harvest and favorable habitat and winter conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Fisher
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2153, USA
| | - Ryan A Prioreschi
- City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, 66 South Cherryvale Road, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, USA
| | - Lisa L Wolfe
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2153, USA
| | - Jonathan P Runge
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2153, USA
| | - Karen A Griffin
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2153, USA
| | - Heather M Swanson
- City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, 66 South Cherryvale Road, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, USA
| | - Michael W Miller
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2153, USA.
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15
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Ishida Y, Tian T, Brandt AL, Kelly AC, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Association of chronic wasting disease susceptibility with prion protein variation in white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2021; 14:214-225. [PMID: 32835598 PMCID: PMC7518741 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1805288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is caused by prions, infectious proteinaceous particles, PrPCWD. We sequenced the PRNP gene of 2,899 white-tailed deer (WTD) from Illinois and southern Wisconsin, finding 38 haplotypes. Haplotypes A, B, D, E, G and 10 others encoded Q95G96S100N103A123Q226, designated ‘PrP variant A.’ Haplotype C and five other haplotypes encoded PrP ‘variant C’ (Q95S96S100N103A123Q226). Haplotype F and three other haplotypes encoded PrP ‘variant F’ (H95G96S100N103A123Q226). The association of CWD with encoded PrP variants was examined in 2,537 tested WTD from counties with CWD. Relative to PrP variant A, CWD susceptibility was lower in deer with PrP variant C (OR = 0.26, p < 0.001), and even lower in deer with PrP variant F (OR = 0.10, p < 0.0001). Susceptibility to CWD was highest in deer with both chromosomes encoding PrP variant A, lower with one copy encoding PrP variant A (OR = 0.25, p < 0.0001) and lowest in deer without PrP variant A (OR = 0.07, p < 0.0001). There appeared to be incomplete dominance for haplotypes encoding PrP variant C in reducing CWD susceptibility. Deer with both chromosomes encoding PrP variant F (FF) or one encoding PrP variant C and the other F (CF) were all CWD negative. Our results suggest that an increased population frequency of PrP variants C or F and a reduced frequency of PrP variant A may reduce the risk of CWD infection. Understanding the population and geographic distribution of PRNP polymorphisms may be a useful tool in CWD management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Ishida
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Ting Tian
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Adam L Brandt
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,Division of Natural Sciences, St. Norbert College , De Pere, WI, USA
| | - Amy C Kelly
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,Bayer U.S. - Crop Sciences Biotechnology Genomics and Data Science, BB4929-A , Chesterfield, MO, USA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources , Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jan Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA
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16
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Selective Breeding for Disease-Resistant PRNP Variants to Manage Chronic Wasting Disease in Farmed Whitetail Deer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091396. [PMID: 34573378 PMCID: PMC8471411 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of cervids caused by a misfolded variant of the normal cellular prion protein, and it is closely related to sheep scrapie. Variations in a host's prion gene, PRNP, and its primary protein structure dramatically affect susceptibility to specific prion disorders, and breeding for PRNP variants that prevent scrapie infection has led to steep declines in the disease in North American and European sheep. While resistant alleles have been identified in cervids, a PRNP variant that completely prevents CWD has not yet been identified. Thus, control of the disease in farmed herds traditionally relies on quarantine and depopulation. In CWD-endemic areas, depopulation of private herds becomes challenging to justify, leading to opportunities to manage the disease in situ. We developed a selective breeding program for farmed white-tailed deer in a high-prevalence CWD-endemic area which focused on reducing frequencies of highly susceptible PRNP variants and introducing animals with less susceptible variants. With the use of newly developed primers, we found that breeding followed predictable Mendelian inheritance, and early data support our project's utility in reducing CWD prevalence. This project represents a novel approach to CWD management, with future efforts building on these findings.
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17
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Kincheloe JM, Horn-Delzer AR, Makau DN, Wells SJ. Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission Risk Assessment for Farmed Cervids in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081586. [PMID: 34452450 PMCID: PMC8402894 DOI: 10.3390/v13081586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
CWD (chronic wasting disease) has emerged as one of the most important diseases of cervids and continues to adversely affect farmed and wild cervid populations, despite control and preventive measures. This study aims to use the current scientific understanding of CWD transmission and knowledge of farmed cervid operations to conduct a qualitative risk assessment for CWD transmission to cervid farms and, applying this risk assessment, systematically describe the CWD transmission risks experienced by CWD-positive farmed cervid operations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. A systematic review of literature related to CWD transmission informed our criteria to stratify CWD transmission risks to cervid operations into high-risk low uncertainty, moderate-risk high uncertainty, and negligible-risk low uncertainty categories. Case data from 34 CWD-positive farmed cervid operations in Minnesota and Wisconsin from 2002 to January 2019 were categorized by transmission risks exposure and evaluated for trends. The majority of case farms recorded high transmission risks (56%), which were likely sources of CWD, but many (44%) had only moderate or negligible transmission risks, including most of the herds (62%) detected since 2012. The presence of CWD-positive cervid farms with only moderate or low CWD transmission risks necessitates further investigation of these risks to inform effective control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Kincheloe
- Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1220 L St. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005, USA
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, 225 Vet Med Ctr, 1365 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; (D.N.M.); (S.J.W.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Amy R. Horn-Delzer
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, 2811 Agriculture Drive, Madison, WI 53708, USA;
| | - Dennis N. Makau
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, 225 Vet Med Ctr, 1365 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; (D.N.M.); (S.J.W.)
| | - Scott J. Wells
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, 225 Vet Med Ctr, 1365 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; (D.N.M.); (S.J.W.)
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18
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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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19
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Maraud S, Roturier S. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Sami Reindeer Herding: The Socio-Political Dimension of an Epizootic in an Indigenous Context. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:297. [PMID: 33503846 PMCID: PMC7911299 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most transmissible of the prion diseases. In 2016, an unexpected case was found in Norway, the first in Europe. Since then, there have been 32 confirmed cases in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. This paper aims to examine the situation from a social and political perspective: considering the management of CWD in the Swedish part of Sápmi-the Sami ancestral land; identifying the place of the Sami people in the risk management-because of the threats to Sami reindeer herding that CWD presents; and understanding how the disease can modify the modalities of Indigenous reindeer husbandry, whether or not CWD is epizootic. Based on interviews with various stakeholders and by examining the social sciences literature, this paper shows that the health risk management is structured by a politico-scientific controversy about the recognition, or not, of atypical and classical CWD. The Sami herders are currently cooperating with the state authorities in the surveillance program to sample their herds. This involvement takes place in a situation where the balance of power between the Sami people and the state, or the European Union, is framed by its colonial context. This has consequences with respect to the definition of a common interest and to implementing sanitary measures. The particular features of reindeer herding are seen as a challenge to managing CWD risk, compared with European health standards. We argue that CWD will greatly modify the modalities of Indigenous reindeer herding, whether there are positive cases or not in the Sami reindeer. By implementing new health guidelines, the authorities will create a cascading effect in Sami land and its use. The CWD situation in Fennoscandia is full of uncertainty but may cause a major shift in the organization and the governance of Sápmi. In September 2020, the identification of a new CWD case in a wild reindeer in Norway started a new episode in the disease management in Fennoscandia. Our paper raises various questions linked to understanding this new step in this crisis which is not only epidemiological, but also socio-cultural and political.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Maraud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91405 Orsay, France;
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20
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Sohn HJ, Mitchell G, Lee YH, Kim HJ, Park KJ, Staskevicus A, Walther I, Soutyrine A, Balachandran A. Experimental oral transmission of chronic wasting disease to sika deer ( Cervus nippon). Prion 2020; 14:271-277. [PMID: 33300452 PMCID: PMC7734081 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1857038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) affects a broad array of cervid species and continues to be detected in an expanding geographic range. Initially introduced into the Republic of Korea through the importation of CWD-infected elk (Cervus canadensis), additional cases of CWD were subsequently detected in farmed Korean elk and sika deer (Cervus nippon). Wild and farmed sika deer are found in many regions of Asia, North America, and Europe, although natural transmission to this species has not been detected outside of the Republic of Korea. In this study, the oral transmission of CWD to sika deer was investigated using material from CWD-affected elk. Pathological prion (PrPCWD) immunoreactivity was detected in oropharyngeal lymphoid tissues of one sika deer at 3.9 months post-inoculation (mpi) and was more widely distributed in a second sika deer examined at 10.9 mpi. The remaining four sika deer progressed to clinical disease between 21 and 24 mpi. Analysis of PrPCWD tissue distribution in clinical sika deer revealed widespread deposition in central and peripheral nervous systems, lymphoreticular tissues, and the gastrointestinal tract. Prion protein gene (PRNP) sequences of these sika deer were identical and consistent with those reported in natural sika deer populations. These findings demonstrate the efficient oral transmission of CWD from elk to sika deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Joo Sohn
- Foreign Animal Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency , Gimcheon-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Gordon Mitchell
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency , Ottawa, Canada
| | - Yoon Hee Lee
- Foreign Animal Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency , Gimcheon-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jin Kim
- Foreign Animal Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency , Gimcheon-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Je Park
- Foreign Animal Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency , Gimcheon-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Antanas Staskevicus
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency , Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ines Walther
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency , Ottawa, Canada
| | - Andrei Soutyrine
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency , Ottawa, Canada
| | - Aru Balachandran
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency , Ottawa, Canada
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21
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Kramm C, Soto P, Nichols TA, Morales R. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion detection in blood from pre-symptomatic white-tailed deer harboring PRNP polymorphic variants. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19763. [PMID: 33188252 PMCID: PMC7666123 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75681-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prionopathy affecting wild and farmed cervids. This disease is endemic in North America and has been recently identified in Europe. Ante-mortem CWD tests of pre-clinical cervids may be an important tool in helping control the spread of this disease. Unfortunately, current CWD diagnostic methods are not suitable for non-tissue type samples. We reported that CWD prions can be detected in blood of pre-clinical CWD-infected white-tailed deer (WTD) with high sensitivity and specificity using the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) assay. However, that report only included animals homozygous for codon 96G, the most common polymorphic version of the prion protein within this animal species. Here, we report CWD prion detection using blood of naturally infected WTD coding one or two copies of the PrP-96S polymorphic variant. Our results, from a blinded screening, show 100% specificity and ~ 58% sensitivity for animals harboring one 96S codon, regardless of their stage within the pre-clinical phase. Detection efficiency for PrP-96S homozygous animals was substantially lower, suggesting that this allele affect peripheral prion replication/tropism. These results provide additional information on the influence of codon 96 polymorphisms and the ability of PMCA to detect CWD in the blood of pre-clinical WTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Kramm
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Los Andes, Las Condes, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo 2200, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina Soto
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tracy A Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- CIBQA, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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Escobar LE, Pritzkow S, Winter SN, Grear DA, Kirchgessner MS, Dominguez-Villegas E, Machado G, Peterson AT, Soto C. The ecology of chronic wasting disease in wildlife. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:393-408. [PMID: 31750623 PMCID: PMC7085120 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prions are misfolded infectious proteins responsible for a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases termed transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion diseases. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is the prion disease with the highest spillover potential, affecting at least seven Cervidae (deer) species. The zoonotic potential of CWD is inconclusive and cannot be ruled out. A risk of infection for other domestic and wildlife species is also plausible. Here, we review the current status of the knowledge with respect to CWD ecology in wildlife. Our current understanding of the geographic distribution of CWD lacks spatial and temporal detail, does not consider the biogeography of infectious diseases, and is largely biased by sampling based on hunters' cooperation and funding available for each region. Limitations of the methods used for data collection suggest that the extent and prevalence of CWD in wildlife is underestimated. If the zoonotic potential of CWD is confirmed in the short term, as suggested by recent results obtained in experimental animal models, there will be limited accurate epidemiological data to inform public health. Research gaps in CWD prion ecology include the need to identify specific biological characteristics of potential CWD reservoir species that better explain susceptibility to spillover, landscape and climate configurations that are suitable for CWD transmission, and the magnitude of sampling bias in our current understanding of CWD distribution and risk. Addressing these research gaps will help anticipate novel areas and species where CWD spillover is expected, which will inform control strategies. From an ecological perspective, control strategies could include assessing restoration of natural predators of CWD reservoirs, ultrasensitive CWD detection in biotic and abiotic reservoirs, and deer density and landscape modification to reduce CWD spread and prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
| | - Steven N. Winter
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Daniel A. Grear
- US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, 59711, U.S.A
| | | | | | - Gustavo Machado
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, U.S.A
| | - A. Townsend Peterson
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, U.S.A
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
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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: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [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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25
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Kramm C, Gomez-Gutierrez R, Soto C, Telling G, Nichols T, Morales R. In Vitro detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) prions in semen and reproductive tissues of white tailed deer bucks (Odocoileus virginianus). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226560. [PMID: 31887141 PMCID: PMC6936793 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting several cervid species. Among them, white-tailed deer (WTD) are of relevance due to their value in farming and game hunting. The exact events involved in CWD transmission in captive and wild animals are still unclear. An unexplored mechanism of CWD spread involves transmissions through germplasm, such as semen. Surprisingly, the presence and load of CWD prions in semen and male sexual tissues from WTD has not been explored. Here, we described the detection of CWD prions in semen and sexual tissues of WTD bucks utilizing the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) technology. Samples were obtained post-mortem from farmed pre-clinical, CWD positive WTD bucks possessing polymorphisms at position 96 of the PRNP gene. Our results show that overall CWD detection in these samples had a sensitivity of 59.3%, with a specificity of 97.2%. The data indicate that the presence of CWD prions in male sexual organs and fluids is prevalent in late stage, pre-clinical, CWD-infected WTD (80%-100% of the animals depending on the sample type analyzed). Our findings reveal the presence of CWD prions in semen and sexual tissues of prion infected WTD bucks. Future studies will be necessary to determine whether sexual contact and/or artificial inseminations are plausible means of CWD transmission in susceptible animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Kramm
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Universidad de Los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ruben Gomez-Gutierrez
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Glenn Telling
- Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Tracy Nichols
- Veterinary Services, APHIS, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
- CIBQA, Universidad Bernardo OHiggins. Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
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26
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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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27
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Geographic Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease Resistant Alleles in Nebraska, with Comments on the Evolution of Resistance. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.3996/012019-jfwm-002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Infectious diseases create major challenges for wildlife management. In particular, prion diseases are fatal and incurable, leaving managers with limited options. In cervids, chronic wasting disease (CWD) can decimate captive and wild populations by affecting neural tissue leading to body control loss, decay, and ultimately death resulting in ecological and economic consequences. Partial protection against CWD results from some genotypes at the prion (PRNP) locus encoding PrP proteins that are less likely to misfold and build up to fatal levels in the central nervous system. Although multiple studies have documented the association between CWD susceptibility and genotypes, little is known about the distribution of resistant genotypes across the natural landscape, and whether population pockets of protection in exist in particular regions. We surveyed the genetic variability and distribution of resistant alleles and genotypes of the PRNP locus across Nebraska in deer collected in 2017, where mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed (O. virginianus) deer ranges meet on the North American Great Plains. We found that CWD-resistant alleles occur throughout the state in low frequencies, and our data suggest little evidence of geographic structure for the PRNP locus. In Nebraska, there is a lower frequency of the most common resistance allele (S96) compared with white-tailed deer in other parts of the Midwest. The frequency of resistant alleles (F225) was lower in mule deer. The low but widespread frequency of resistance alleles suggests that each species could be susceptible to CWD spread. Continued monitoring would be useful to determine if the frequency of resistant alleles increases in areas with increasing CWD rates. Three synonymous fixed genotypes at the PRNP locus allowed detection of hybrids between mule deer and white-tailed deer, although we found none, suggesting that CWD is not spread between species via hybridization. We also compare the PRNP genotypes of scrapie-resistant sheep with those of deer, and suggest that a single base-pair mutation at the PRNP locus could provide resistance in deer.
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28
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Koutsoumanis K, Allende A, Alvarez-Ordoňez A, Bolton D, Bover-Cid S, Chemaly M, Davies R, De Cesare A, Herman L, Hilbert F, Lindqvist R, Nauta M, Peixe L, Ru G, Skandamis P, Suffredini E, Andreoletti O, Benestad SL, Comoy E, Nonno R, da Silva Felicio T, Ortiz-Pelaez A, Simmons MM. Update on chronic wasting disease (CWD) III. EFSA J 2019; 17:e05863. [PMID: 32626163 PMCID: PMC7008890 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The European Commission asked EFSA for a Scientific Opinion: to revise the state of knowledge about the differences between the chronic wasting disease (CWD) strains found in North America (NA) and Europe and within Europe; to review new scientific evidence on the zoonotic potential of CWD and to provide recommendations to address the potential risks and to identify risk factors for the spread of CWD in the European Union. Full characterisation of European isolates is being pursued, whereas most NA CWD isolates have not been characterised in this way. The differing surveillance programmes in these continents result in biases in the types of cases that can be detected. Preliminary data support the contention that the CWD strains identified in Europe and NA are different and suggest the presence of strain diversity in European cervids. Current data do not allow any conclusion on the implications of strain diversity on transmissibility, pathogenesis or prevalence. Available data do not allow any conclusion on the zoonotic potential of NA or European CWD isolates. The risk of CWD to humans through consumption of meat cannot be directly assessed. At individual level, consumers of meat, meat products and offal derived from CWD-infected cervids will be exposed to the CWD agent(s). Measures to reduce human dietary exposure could be applied, but exclusion from the food chain of whole carcasses of infected animals would be required to eliminate exposure. Based on NA experiences, all the risk factors identified for the spread of CWD may be associated with animals accumulating infectivity in both the peripheral tissues and the central nervous system. A subset of risk factors is relevant for infected animals without involvement of peripheral tissues. All the risk factors should be taken into account due to the potential co-localisation of animals presenting with different disease phenotypes.
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29
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Song H, McComas KA, Schuler KL. Hunters’ responses to urine‐based scent bans tackling chronic wasting disease. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hwanseok Song
- Cornell UniversityDepartment of Communication455 Mann Library BuildingIthacaNY14853USA
| | - Katherine A. McComas
- Cornell UniversityDepartment of Communication468 Mann Library BuildingIthacaNY14853USA
| | - Krysten L. Schuler
- Cornell UniversityAnimal Health Diagnostic Center240 Farrier RoadIthacaNY14853USA
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30
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Benestad SL, Telling GC. Chronic wasting disease: an evolving prion disease of cervids. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2018; 153:135-151. [PMID: 29887133 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63945-5.00008-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a relatively new and burgeoning prion epidemic of deer, elk, reindeer, and moose, which are members of the cervid family. While the disease was first described in captive deer, its subsequent discovery in various species of free-ranging animals makes it the only currently recognized prion disorder of both wild and farmed animals. In addition to its expanding range of host species, CWD continues to spread from North America to new geographic areas, including South Korea, and most recently Norway, marking the first time this disease was detected in Europe. Its unparalleled efficiency of contagious transmission, combined with high densities of deer in certain areas, complicates strategies for controlling CWD, raising concerns about its potential for spread to new species. Because there is a high prevalence of CWD in deer and elk, which are commonly hunted and consumed by humans, and since prions from cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy have been transmitted to humans causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the possibility of zoonotic transmission of CWD is particularly concerning. Here we review the clinical and pathologic features of CWD and its disturbing epidemiology, and discuss features that affect its transmission, including genetic susceptibility, pathogenesis, and agent strain variability. Finally, we discuss evidence that speaks to the potential for zoonotic transmission of this emerging disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Glenn C Telling
- Prion Research Center (PRC) and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States.
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31
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Schuler KL, Jenks JA, Klaver RW, Jennelle CS, Bowyer RT. Chronic wasting disease detection and mortality sources in semi-protected deer population. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Krysten L. Schuler
- K. L. Schuler , J. A. Jenks, Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakot
| | - Jonathan A. Jenks
- K. L. Schuler , J. A. Jenks, Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakot
| | - Robert W. Klaver
- R. W. Klaver, US Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Iowa State Univ., Ames,
| | | | - R. Terry Bowyer
- R. T. Bowyer, Dept of Biological Sciences, Idaho State Univ., Pocatello, ID, USA
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32
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Plummer IH, Johnson CJ, Chesney AR, Pedersen JA, Samuel MD. Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196745. [PMID: 29719000 PMCID: PMC5931637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer (cervids) caused by misfolded prion proteins. The disease has been reported across North America and recently discovered in northern Europe. Transmission of CWD in wild cervid populations can occur through environmental routes, but limited ability to detect prions in environmental samples has prevented the identification of potential transmission "hot spots". We establish widespread CWD prion contamination of mineral licks used by free-ranging cervids in an enzootic area in Wisconsin, USA. We show mineral licks can serve as reservoirs of CWD prions and thus facilitate disease transmission. Furthermore, mineral licks attract livestock and other wildlife that also obtain mineral nutrients via soil and water consumption. Exposure to CWD prions at mineral licks provides potential for cross-species transmission to wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Managing deer use of mineral licks warrants further consideration to help control outbreaks of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H. Plummer
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Chad J. Johnson
- Departments of Soil Science, Chemistry, and Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Alexandra R. Chesney
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Departments of Soil Science, Chemistry, and Civil & Environmental Engineering, Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MDS); (JAP)
| | - Michael D. Samuel
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MDS); (JAP)
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33
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Mabbott NA. How do PrP Sc Prions Spread between Host Species, and within Hosts? Pathogens 2017; 6:pathogens6040060. [PMID: 29186791 PMCID: PMC5750584 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6040060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are sub-acute neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and some domestic and free-ranging animals. Infectious prion agents are considered to comprise solely of abnormally folded isoforms of the cellular prion protein known as PrPSc. Pathology during prion disease is restricted to the central nervous system where it causes extensive neurodegeneration and ultimately leads to the death of the host. The first half of this review provides a thorough account of our understanding of the various ways in which PrPSc prions may spread between individuals within a population, both horizontally and vertically. Many natural prion diseases are acquired peripherally, such as by oral exposure, lesions to skin or mucous membranes, and possibly also via the nasal cavity. Following peripheral exposure, some prions accumulate to high levels within the secondary lymphoid organs as they make their journey from the site of infection to the brain, a process termed neuroinvasion. The replication of PrPSc prions within secondary lymphoid organs is important for their efficient spread to the brain. The second half of this review describes the key tissues, cells and molecules which are involved in the propagation of PrPSc prions from peripheral sites of exposure (such as the lumen of the intestine) to the brain. This section also considers how additional factors such as inflammation and aging might influence prion disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
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