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Kuznetsova A, Ness A, Moffatt E, Bollinger T, McKenzie D, Stasiak I, Bahnson CS, Aiken JM. Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Prairie Soils from Endemic Regions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:10932-10940. [PMID: 38865602 PMCID: PMC11210205 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c04633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious prion disease that affects cervids in North America, Northern Europe, and South Korea. CWD is spread through direct and indirect horizontal transmission, with both clinical and preclinical animals shedding CWD prions in saliva, urine, and feces. CWD particles can persist in the environment for years, and soils may pose a risk for transmission to susceptible animals. Our study presents a sensitive method for detecting prions in the environmental samples of prairie soils. Soils were collected from CWD-endemic regions with high (Saskatchewan, Canada) and low (North Dakota, USA) CWD prevalence. Heat extraction with SDS-buffer, a serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay coupled with a real-time quaking-induced conversion assay was used to detect the presence of CWD prions in soils. In the prairie area of South Saskatchewan where the CWD prevalence rate in male mule deer is greater than 70%, 75% of the soil samples tested were positive, while in the low-prevalence prairie region of North Dakota (11% prevalence in male mule deer), none of the soils contained prion seeding activity. Soil-bound CWD prion detection has the potential to improve our understanding of the environmental spread of CWD, benefiting both surveillance and mitigation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alsu Kuznetsova
- Department
of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2G7, Canada
- Centre
for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Anthony Ness
- Centre
for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Erin Moffatt
- Canadian
Wildlife Health Cooperative Western Northern, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Trent Bollinger
- Canadian
Wildlife Health Cooperative Western Northern, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Centre
for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Iga Stasiak
- Ministry
of Environment, Government of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 3R3, Canada
| | - Charlie S. Bahnson
- North
Dakota Game and Fish Department, Bismarck, North Dakota 58501-5095, United States
| | - Judd M. Aiken
- Centre
for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
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2
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Ahmed MS, Hanley BJ, Mitchell CI, Abbott RC, Hollingshead NA, Booth JG, Guinness J, Jennelle CS, Hodel FH, Gonzalez-Crespo C, Middaugh CR, Ballard JR, Clemons B, Killmaster CH, Harms TM, Caudell JN, Benavidez Westrich KM, McCallen E, Casey C, O'Brien LM, Trudeau JK, Stewart C, Carstensen M, McKinley WT, Hynes KP, Stevens AE, Miller LA, Cook M, Myers RT, Shaw J, Tonkovich MJ, Kelly JD, Grove DM, Storm DJ, Schuler KL. Predicting chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer at the county scale using machine learning. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14373. [PMID: 38909151 PMCID: PMC11193737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65002-7] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Continued spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) through wild cervid herds negatively impacts populations, erodes wildlife conservation, drains resource dollars, and challenges wildlife management agencies. Risk factors for CWD have been investigated at state scales, but a regional model to predict locations of new infections can guide increasingly efficient surveillance efforts. We predicted CWD incidence by county using CWD surveillance data depicting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in 16 eastern and midwestern US states. We predicted the binary outcome of CWD-status using four machine learning models, utilized five-fold cross-validation and grid search to pinpoint the best model, then compared model predictions against the subsequent year of surveillance data. Cross validation revealed that the Light Boosting Gradient model was the most reliable predictor given the regional data. The predictive model could be helpful for surveillance planning. Predictions of false positives emphasize areas that warrant targeted CWD surveillance because of similar conditions with counties known to harbor CWD. However, disagreements in positives and negatives between the CWD Prediction Web App predictions and the on-the-ground surveillance data one year later underscore the need for state wildlife agency professionals to use a layered modeling approach to ensure robust surveillance planning. The CWD Prediction Web App is at https://cwd-predict.streamlit.app/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Sohel Ahmed
- Wildlife Health Lab, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Texas A & M Transportation Institute, Austin, TX, USA.
| | | | - Corey I Mitchell
- Desert Centered Ecology, LLC, Tucson, AZ, USA
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | | | - James G Booth
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Joe Guinness
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Christopher S Jennelle
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Nongame Wildlife Program, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Florian H Hodel
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Carlos Gonzalez-Crespo
- Center for Animal Disease Modelling and Surveillance, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Bambi Clemons
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Joe N Caudell
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Emily McCallen
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Christine Casey
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, KY, USA
| | | | | | - Chad Stewart
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Michelle Carstensen
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Health Program, Forest Lake, MN, USA
| | - William T McKinley
- Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Kevin P Hynes
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Delmar, NY, USA
| | - Ashley E Stevens
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Delmar, NY, USA
| | - Landon A Miller
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Delmar, NY, USA
| | - Merril Cook
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Ryan T Myers
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan Shaw
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - James D Kelly
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Daniel J Storm
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI, USA
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3
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Burgener K, Lichtenberg SS, Walsh DP, Inzalaco HN, Lomax A, Pedersen JA. Prion Seeding Activity in Plant Tissues Detected by RT-QuIC. Pathogens 2024; 13:452. [PMID: 38921750 PMCID: PMC11206635 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases such as scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and chronic wasting disease (CWD) affect domesticated and wild herbivorous mammals. Animals afflicted with CWD, the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids (deer, elk, and moose), shed prions into the environment, where they may persist and remain infectious for years. These environmental prions may remain in soil, be transported in surface waters, or assimilated into plants. Environmental sampling is an emerging area of TSE research and can provide more information about prion fate and transport once shed by infected animals. In this study, we have developed the first published method for the extraction and detection of prions in plant tissue using the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay. Incubation with a zwitterionic surfactant followed by precipitation with sodium phosphotungstate concentrates the prions within samples and allows for sensitive detection of prion seeding activity. Using this protocol, we demonstrate that prions can be detected within plant tissues and on plant surfaces using the RT-QuIC assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Burgener
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (K.B.)
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Stuart Siegfried Lichtenberg
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Heather N. Inzalaco
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Aaron Lomax
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
- Varizymes, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (K.B.)
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
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4
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Bartz JC, Benavente R, Caughey B, Christensen S, Herbst A, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK, McKenzie D, Morales R, Schwabenlander MD, Walsh DP. Chronic Wasting Disease: State of the Science. Pathogens 2024; 13:138. [PMID: 38392876 PMCID: PMC10892334 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervid species, both free-ranging and captive populations. As the geographic range continues to expand and disease prevalence continues to increase, CWD will have an impact on cervid populations, local economies, and ecosystem health. Mitigation of this "wicked" disease will require input from many different stakeholders including hunters, landowners, research biologists, wildlife managers, and others, working together. The NC1209 (North American interdisciplinary chronic wasting disease research consortium) is composed of scientists from different disciplines involved with investigating and managing CWD. Leveraging this broad breadth of expertise, the Consortium has created a state-of-the-science review of five key aspects of CWD, including current diagnostic capabilities for detecting prions, requirements for validating these diagnostics, the role of environmental transmission in CWD dynamics, and potential zoonotic risks associated with CWD. The goal of this review is to increase stakeholders', managers', and decision-makers' understanding of this disease informed by current scientific knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA;
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.B.); (R.M.)
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA;
| | - Sonja Christensen
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Allen Herbst
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA;
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (E.A.H.); (C.K.M.)
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (E.A.H.); (C.K.M.)
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada;
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.B.); (R.M.)
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile
| | - Marc D. Schwabenlander
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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Mallikarjun A, Charendoff I, Moore MB, Wilson C, Nguyen E, Hendrzak AJ, Poulson J, Gibison M, Otto CM. Assessing Different Chronic Wasting Disease Training Aids for Use with Detection Dogs. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:300. [PMID: 38254469 PMCID: PMC10812555 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly infectious, fatal prion disease that affects cervid species. One promising method for CWD surveillance is the use of detection dog-handler teams wherein dogs are trained on the volatile organic compound signature of CWD fecal matter. However, using fecal matter from CWD-positive deer poses a biohazard risk; CWD prions can bind to soil particles and remain infectious in contaminated areas for extended periods of time, and it is very difficult to decontaminate the affected areas. One solution is to use noninfectious training aids that can replicate the odor of fecal matter from CWD-positive and CWD-negative deer and are safe to use in the environment. Trained CWD detection dogs' sensitivity and specificity for different training aid materials (cotton, GetXent tubes, and polydimethylsiloxane, or PDMS) incubated with fecal matter from CWD-positive and CWD-negative deer at two different temperatures (21 °C and 37 °C) for three different lengths of time (6 h, 24 h, and 48 h) were evaluated. Cotton incubated at 21 °C for 24 h was identified as the best aid for CWD based on the dogs' performance and practical needs for training aid creation. Implications for CWD detection training and for training aid selection in general are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amritha Mallikarjun
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA (M.B.M.); (C.W.); (E.N.); (A.J.H.); (J.P.); (C.M.O.)
| | - Ila Charendoff
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA (M.B.M.); (C.W.); (E.N.); (A.J.H.); (J.P.); (C.M.O.)
| | - Madison B. Moore
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA (M.B.M.); (C.W.); (E.N.); (A.J.H.); (J.P.); (C.M.O.)
| | - Clara Wilson
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA (M.B.M.); (C.W.); (E.N.); (A.J.H.); (J.P.); (C.M.O.)
| | - Elizabeth Nguyen
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA (M.B.M.); (C.W.); (E.N.); (A.J.H.); (J.P.); (C.M.O.)
| | - Abigail J. Hendrzak
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA (M.B.M.); (C.W.); (E.N.); (A.J.H.); (J.P.); (C.M.O.)
| | - Jean Poulson
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA (M.B.M.); (C.W.); (E.N.); (A.J.H.); (J.P.); (C.M.O.)
| | - Michelle Gibison
- Wildlife Futures Program, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA;
| | - Cynthia M. Otto
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA (M.B.M.); (C.W.); (E.N.); (A.J.H.); (J.P.); (C.M.O.)
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
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Carlson CM, Thomas S, Keating MW, Soto P, Gibbs NM, Chang H, Wiepz JK, Austin AG, Schneider JR, Morales R, Johnson CJ, Pedersen JA. Plants as vectors for environmental prion transmission. iScience 2023; 26:108428. [PMID: 38077138 PMCID: PMC10700824 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108428] [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: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Prions cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases and exhibit remarkable durability, which engenders a wide array of potential exposure scenarios. In chronic wasting disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer and in scrapie of sheep and goats, prions are transmitted via environmental routes and the ability of plants to accumulate and subsequently transmit prions has been hypothesized, but not previously demonstrated. Here, we establish the ability of several crop and other plant species to take up prions via their roots and translocate them to above-ground tissues from various growth media including soils. We demonstrate that plants can accumulate prions in above-ground tissues to levels sufficient to transmit disease after oral ingestion by mice. Our results suggest plants may serve as vectors for prion transmission in the environment-a finding with implications for wildlife conservation, agriculture, and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Carlson
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Samuel Thomas
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Matthew W. Keating
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Paulina Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nicole M. Gibbs
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Haeyoon Chang
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Jamie K. Wiepz
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Annabel G. Austin
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jay R. Schneider
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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Mallikarjun A, Swartz B, Kane SA, Gibison M, Wilson I, Collins A, Moore MB, Charendoff I, Ellis J, Murphy LA, Nichols T, Otto CM. Canine detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in laboratory and field settings. Prion 2023; 17:16-28. [PMID: 36740856 PMCID: PMC9904315 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2023.2169519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects both free-ranging and farmed cervid species, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk (Odocoileus hemionus, Odocoileus virginianus, and Cervus canadensis). Due to the long incubation period and variability of clinical signs, CWD can expand and spread to new areas before they reach diagnostically detectable levels. Antemortem testing methods currently available can be difficult to obtain and to be applied to the large numbers required for adequate surveillance. However, key volatile biomarkers could be harnessed for non-invasive antemortem surveillance. Detection dogs are the most effective tool currently available for volatile detection; dogs can effectively complete wildlife surveys at rates surpassing that of humans. This study is the first to demonstrate that trained detection dogs can be used as an antemortem test for CWD. First, we trained three dogs to differentiate between CWD-positive and CWD-negative white-tailed deer faeces in a laboratory setting. Dogs spent significantly more time at the positive sample than the negative samples, suggesting that they differentiated between the positive and negative volatile signatures. We then trained the same dogs to search for CWD-positive faecal samples in a more naturalistic field setting. In the field, dogs found 8/11 CWD-positive samples and had an average false detection rate of 13%. These results suggest that dogs can be trained to differentiate CWD-positive faeces from CWD-negative faeces in both laboratory and field settings. Future studies will compare canine accuracy to other antemortem methods, as well as improved canine training methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amritha Mallikarjun
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA,CONTACT Amritha Mallikarjun School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Ben Swartz
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Sarah A. Kane
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Michelle Gibison
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife Futures Program, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Isabella Wilson
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Amanda Collins
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Madison B. Moore
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Ila Charendoff
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Julie Ellis
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife Futures Program, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Lisa A. Murphy
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife Futures Program, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Tracy Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C, WA, USA
| | - Cynthia M. Otto
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA,School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
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Soto P, Bravo-Risi F, Benavente R, Lichtenberg S, Lockwood M, Reed JH, Morales R. Identification of chronic wasting disease prions in decaying tongue tissues from exhumed white-tailed deer. mSphere 2023; 8:e0027223. [PMID: 37800903 PMCID: PMC10597447 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00272-23] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions cause fatal neuropathies in farmed and free-ranging cervids. The deposition of prions in natural and humanmade environmental components has been implicated as a major mechanism mediating CWD spread in wild and captive populations. Prions can be deposited in the environment through excreta, tissues, and carcasses from pre-clinical and clinical animals. Furthermore, burial of CWD-positive animals may reduce but not completely mitigate prion spread from carcasses into the surrounding environment. Here, we analyzed exhumed, decaying deer carcasses for the presence of CWD prions. By analyzing tongue tissues through the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) technique, we were able to identify seven out of 95 exhumed white-tailed deer carcasses as CWD prions carriers. Confirmatory analyses were performed using the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) technique. In addition, we evaluated the potential contamination of the pens that housed these animals by swabbing feeders and waterers. PMCA analyses of swabs confirmed CWD contamination on farming equipment. This work demonstrates the usefulness of PMCA to detect CWD prions in a variety of contexts, including exhumed/decaying tissues. In addition, this is the first report demonstrating swabbing coupled with PMCA as a method for the detection of prion seeding activity on naturally exposed surfaces. Considering that this study was focused on a single site, further studies should confirm whether prion amplification assays are useful to identify CWD prions not only in animals but also in the environment that contains them. IMPORTANCE Environmental contamination is thought to be a major player in the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal prion disease affecting a wide variety of cervid species. At present, there are no officially approved methods allowing for the detection of prion infectivity in environmental components. Importantly, animal as well as anthropogenic activities are thought to contribute to prion environmental contamination. Here, we detected CWD prions in exhumed white-tailed deer carcasses by using the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assay. In addition, we identified CWD prions in feeders used within the infected facility. These results highlight the potential role of PMCA in identifying prion infectivity in a variety of scenarios, ranging from decaying tissues to farming equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, 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, Texas, 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, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Stuart Lichtenberg
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Minnesota Prion Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mitch Lockwood
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Kerrville, Texas, USA
| | - J. Hunter Reed
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Kerrville, Texas, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
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Gulwako MS, Mokoele JM, Ngoshe YB, Naidoo V. Evaluation of the proper use of medication available over the counter by subsistence and emerging farmers in Mbombela Municipality, South Africa. BMC Vet Res 2023; 19:83. [PMID: 37422641 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03634-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
South Africa has two types of animal farming systems, being the commercial industry and subsistence farming in more rural areas, with commercial farmers having more access to veterinary services. To cater for the absence of sufficient veterinary service, the country allows farmers to access certain over the counter medications (stock remedies), as a way to assist them to farm sustainably and profitably. However, with any drug use, their true benefits are only realized following correct use. The aim of this study was to describe and assess the adequacy of the current use of veterinary drugs by rural-based farmers. A scheduled structured questionnaire with close-ended questions and direct observation was employed. The most important finding was the absence of proper training in the area, with 82.9% not receiving any training related to livestock production or use/handling of stock remedies, highlighting the urgent need for proper training. Of interest, a large proportion of the farmers (57.5%) left the care of their animals to herders. Concerns were also noted in the application of withholding periods, transport of medication, disposal of medication, calculation of drug doses, correct route of administration and carcass disposal with no difference in response between farmers receiving training and those who didn't. These finding not only indicates the importance of farmer training, but shows that for such training to be effective, information should not only cover farming activities but must include primary animal health care and an understanding of information contained in package leaflets. It would also be important to ensure that herdsmen are also included in such training initiatives as they are the primary careers of the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Gulwako
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa
| | - J M Mokoele
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa
| | - Y B Ngoshe
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa
| | - V Naidoo
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa.
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10
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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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11
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Wang F, Pritzkow S, Soto C. PMCA for ultrasensitive detection of prions and to study disease biology. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:307-321. [PMID: 36567368 PMCID: PMC9790818 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03727-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of a novel class of infectious agent composed exclusively of a misfolded protein (termed prions) has been a challenge in modern biomedicine. Despite similarities on the behavior of prions with respect to conventional pathogens, the many uncertainties regarding the biology and virulence of prions make them a worrisome paradigm. Since prions do not contain nucleic acids and rely on a very different way of replication and spreading, it was necessary to invent a novel technology to study them. In this article, we provide an overview of such a technology, termed protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), and summarize its many applications to detect prions and understand prion biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wang
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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12
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Kuznetsova A, McKenzie D, Ytrehus B, Utaaker KS, Aiken JM. Movement of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Prairie, Boreal and Alpine Soils. Pathogens 2023; 12:269. [PMID: 36839541 PMCID: PMC9965917 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020269] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy negatively impacting cervids on three continents. Soil can serve as a reservoir for horizontal transmission of CWD by interaction with the infectious prion protein (PrPCWD) shed by diseased individuals and from infected carcasses. We investigated the pathways for PrPCWD migration in soil profiles using lab-scale soil columns, comparing PrPCWD migration through pure soil minerals (quartz, illite and montmorillonite), and diverse soils from boreal (Luvisol, Brunisol) and prairie (Chernozem) regions. We analyzed the leachate of the soil columns by immunoblot and protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) and detected PrP in the leachates of columns composed of quartz, illite, Luvisol and Brunisol. Animal bioassay confirmed the presence of CWD infectivity in the leachates from quartz, illite and Luvisol columns. Leachates from columns with montmorillonite and prairie Chernozems did not contain PrP detectable by immunoblotting or PMCA; bioassay confirmed that the Chernozemic leachate was not infectious. Analysis of the solid phase of the columns confirmed the migration of PrP to lower layers in the illite column, while the strongest signal in the montmorillonite column remained close to the surface. Montmorillonite, the prevalent clay mineral in prairie soils, has the strongest prion binding ability; by contrast, illite, the main clay mineral in northern boreal and tundra soils, does not bind prions significantly. This suggests that in soils of North American CWD-endemic regions (Chernozems), PrPCWD would remain on the soil surface due to avid binding to montmorillonite. In boreal Luvisols and mountain Brunisols, prions that pass through the leaf litter will continue to move through the soil mineral horizon, becoming less bioavailable. In light-textured soils where quartz is a dominant mineral, the majority of the infectious prions will move through the soil profile. Local soil properties may consequently determine the efficiency of environmental transmission of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alsu Kuznetsova
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G8, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Bjørnar Ytrehus
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), 7034 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine and Veterinary Public Health Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kjersti Selstad Utaaker
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), 7034 Trondheim, Norway
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8026 Bodø, Norway
| | - Judd M. Aiken
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
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13
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Xu S, Abeysekara S, Dudas S, Czub S, Staskevicius A, Mitchell G, Amoako KK, McAllister TA. Biodegradation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy prions in compost. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22233. [PMID: 36564427 PMCID: PMC9789035 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26201-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To reduce the transmission risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy prions (PrPBSE), specified risk materials (SRM) that can harbour PrPBSE are prevented from entering the feed and food chains. As composting is one approach to disposing of SRM, we investigated the inactivation of PrPBSE in lab-scale composters over 28 days and in bin composters over 106-120 days. Lab-scale composting was conducted using 45 kg of feedlot manure with and without chicken feathers. Based on protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), after 28 days of composting, PrPBSE seeding activity was reduced by 3-4 log10 with feathers and 3 log10 without. Bin composters were constructed using ~ 2200 kg feedlot manure and repeated in 2017 and 2018. PMCA results showed that seeding activity of PrPBSE was reduced by 1-2 log10 in the centre, but only by 1 log10 in the bottom of bin composters. Subsequent assessment by transgenic (Tgbov XV) mouse bioassay confirmed a similar reduction in PrPBSE infectivity. Enrichment for proteolytic microorganisms through the addition of feathers to compost could enhance PrPBSE degradation. In addition to temperature, other factors including varying concentrations of PrPBSE and the nature of proteolytic microbial populations may be responsible for differential degradation of PrPBSE during composting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanwei Xu
- grid.55614.330000 0001 1302 4958Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Morden Research and Development Centre, 101 Route 100, Morden, MB R6M 1Y5 Canada
| | - Sujeema Abeysekara
- grid.55614.330000 0001 1302 4958Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB Canada
| | - Sandor Dudas
- grid.418040.90000 0001 2177 1232Canadian and WOAH Reference Laboratories for BSE, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge, AB Canada
| | - Stefanie Czub
- grid.418040.90000 0001 2177 1232Canadian and WOAH Reference Laboratories for BSE, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge, AB Canada
| | - Antanas Staskevicius
- grid.418040.90000 0001 2177 1232Canadian and WOAH Reference Laboratories for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Gordon Mitchell
- grid.418040.90000 0001 2177 1232Canadian and WOAH Reference Laboratories for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Kingsley K. Amoako
- grid.418040.90000 0001 2177 1232National Centres for Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge, AB Canada
| | - Tim A. McAllister
- grid.55614.330000 0001 1302 4958Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB Canada
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14
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Chronic wasting disease prions in mule deer interdigital glands. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275375. [PMID: 36190981 PMCID: PMC9529147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a geographically expanding, fatal neurodegenerative disease in cervids. The disease can be transmitted directly (animal-animal) or indirectly via infectious prions shed into the environment. The precise mechanisms of indirect CWD transmission are unclear but known sources of the infectious prions that contaminate the environment include saliva, urine and feces. We have previously identified PrPC expression in deer interdigital glands, sac-like exocrine structures located between the digits of the hooves. In this study, we assayed for CWD prions within the interdigital glands of CWD infected deer to determine if they could serve as a source of prion shedding and potentially contribute to CWD transmission. Immunohistochemical analysis of interdigital glands from a CWD-infected female mule deer identified disease-associated PrPCWD within clusters of infiltrating leukocytes adjacent to sudoriferous and sebaceous glands, and within the acrosyringeal epidermis of a sudoriferous gland tubule. Proteinase K-resistant PrPCWD material was amplified by serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) from soil retrieved from between the hoof digits of a clinically affected mule deer. Blinded testing of interdigital glands from 11 mule deer by real-time quake-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) accurately identified CWD-infected animals. The data described suggests that interdigital glands may play a role in the dissemination of CWD prions into the environment, warranting future investigation.
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15
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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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16
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Transmission, Strain Diversity, and Zoonotic Potential of Chronic Wasting Disease. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071390. [PMID: 35891371 PMCID: PMC9316268 DOI: 10.3390/v14071390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting several species of captive and free-ranging cervids. In the past few decades, CWD has been spreading uncontrollably, mostly in North America, resulting in a high increase of CWD incidence but also a substantially higher number of geographical regions affected. The massive increase in CWD poses risks at several levels, including contamination of the environment, transmission to animals cohabiting with cervids, and more importantly, a putative transmission to humans. In this review, I will describe the mechanisms and routes responsible for the efficient transmission of CWD, the strain diversity of natural CWD, its spillover and zoonotic potential and strategies to minimize the CWD threat.
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17
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Ness A, Jacob A, Saboraki K, Otero A, Gushue D, Martinez Moreno D, de Peña M, Tang X, Aiken J, Lingle S, McKenzie D. Cellular prion protein distribution in the vomeronasal organ, parotid, and scent glands of white-tailed deer and mule deer. Prion 2022; 16:40-57. [PMID: 35634740 PMCID: PMC9154781 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2022.2079888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious and fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting species of the cervidae family. CWD has an expanding geographic range and complex, poorly understood transmission mechanics. CWD is disproportionately prevalent in wild male mule deer and male white-tailed deer. Sex and species influences on CWD prevalence have been hypothesized to be related to animal behaviours that involve deer facial and body exocrine glands. Understanding CWD transmission potential requires a foundational knowledge of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) in glands associated with cervid behaviours. In this study, we characterized the presence and distribution of PrPC in six integumentary and two non-integumentary tissues of hunter-harvested mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus). We report that white-tailed deer expressed significantly more PrPC than their mule deer in the parotid, metatarsal, and interdigital glands. Females expressed more PrPC than males in the forehead and preorbital glands. The distribution of PrPC within the integumentary exocrine glands of the face and legs were localized to glandular cells, hair follicles, epidermis, and immune cell infiltrates. All tissues examined expressed sufficient quantities of PrPC to serve as possible sites of prion initial infection, propagation, and shedding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Ness
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Aradhana Jacob
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kelsey Saboraki
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Alicia Otero
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de ZaragozaCentro de Encefalopatías y , Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Danielle Gushue
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Diana Martinez Moreno
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Melanie de Peña
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Xinli Tang
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Judd Aiken
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Susan Lingle
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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18
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Islam MR, Bulut U, Feria-Arroyo TP, Tyshenko MG, Oraby T. Modeling the Impact of Climate Change on Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease in Semi-Arid South Texas. FRONTIERS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY 2022; 2:889280. [PMID: 38455276 PMCID: PMC10910938 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2022.889280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a spongiform encephalopathy disease caused by the transmission of infectious prion agents. CWD is a fatal disease that affects wild and farmed cervids in North America with few cases reported overseas. Social interaction of cervids, feeding practices by wildlife keepers and climate effects on the environmental carrying capacity all can affect CWD transmission in deer. Wildlife deer game hunting is economically important to the semi-arid South Texas region and is affected by climate change. In this paper, we model and investigate the effect of climate change on the spread of CWD using typical climate scenarios. We use a system of impulsive differential equations to depict the transmission of CWD between different age groups and gender of cervids. The carrying capacity and contact rates are assumed to depend on climate. Due to the polygamy of bucks, we use mating rates that depend on the number of bucks and does. We analyze the stability of the model and use simulations to study the effect of harvesting (culling) on eradicating the disease, given the climate of South Texas. We use typical climate change scenarios based on published data and our assumptions. For the climate indicator, we calculated and utilized the Standard Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We found that climate change might hinder the efforts to reduce and effectively manage CWD as it becomes endemic to South Texas. The model shows the extinction of the deer population from this region is a likely outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Rafiul Islam
- Department of Mathematics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ummugul Bulut
- Department of Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | | | - Tamer Oraby
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, United States
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19
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Pushie MJ, Sylvain NJ, Hou H, Hackett MJ, Kelly ME, Webb SM. X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy Methods for Biological Tissues. Metallomics 2022; 14:6581349. [PMID: 35512669 PMCID: PMC9226457 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfac032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy is a flexible tool for identifying the distribution of trace elements in biological specimens across a broad range of sample sizes. The technique is not particularly limited by sample type and can be performed on ancient fossils, fixed or fresh tissue specimens, and in some cases even live tissue and live cells can be studied. The technique can also be expanded to provide chemical specificity to elemental maps, either at individual points of interest in a map or across a large field of view. While virtually any sample type can be characterized with X-ray fluorescence microscopy, common biological sample preparation methods (often borrowed from other fields, such as histology) can lead to unforeseen pitfalls, resulting in altered element distributions and concentrations. A general overview of sample preparation and data acquisition methods for X-ray fluorescence microscopy is presented, along with outlining the general approach for applying this technique to a new field of investigation for prospective new-users. Considerations for improving data acquisition and quality are reviewed as well as the effects of sample preparation, with a particular focus on soft tissues. The effects of common sample pre-treatment steps as well as the underlying factors that govern which, and to what extent, specific elements are likely to be altered are reviewed along with common artifacts observed in X-ray fluorescence microscopy data.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jake Pushie
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5Canada
| | - Nicole J Sylvain
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5Canada.,Clinical Trial Support Unit, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W8Canada
| | - Huishu Hou
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5Canada
| | - Mark J Hackett
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, AUS.,School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, AUS
| | - Michael E Kelly
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5Canada
| | - Samuel M Webb
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
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20
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Susceptibility of Beavers to Chronic Wasting Disease. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050667. [PMID: 35625395 PMCID: PMC9137852 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious, fatal, neurodegenerative prion disease of cervids. The expanding geographical range and rising prevalence of CWD are increasing the risk of pathogen transfer and spillover of CWD to non-cervid sympatric species. As beavers have close contact with environmental and food sources of CWD infectivity, we hypothesized that they may be susceptible to CWD prions. We evaluated the susceptibility of beavers to prion diseases by challenging transgenic mice expressing beaver prion protein (tgBeaver) with five strains of CWD, four isolates of rodent-adapted prions and one strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. All CWD strains transmitted to the tgBeaver mice, with attack rates highest from moose CWD and the 116AG and H95+ strains of deer CWD. Mouse-, rat-, and especially hamster-adapted prions were also transmitted with complete attack rates and short incubation periods. We conclude that the beaver prion protein is an excellent substrate for sustaining prion replication and that beavers are at risk for CWD pathogen transfer and spillover.
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21
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Moore SJ, Carlson CM, Schneider JR, Johnson CJ, Greenlee JJ. Increased Attack Rates and Decreased Incubation Periods in Raccoons with Chronic Wasting Disease Passaged through Meadow Voles. Emerg Infect Dis 2022; 28:793-801. [PMID: 35318913 PMCID: PMC8962881 DOI: 10.3201/eid2804.210271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a naturally-occurring neurodegenerative disease of cervids. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) have previously been shown to be susceptible to the CWD agent. To investigate the potential for transmission of the agent of CWD from white-tailed deer to voles and subsequently to raccoons, we intracranially inoculated raccoons with brain homogenate from a CWD-affected white-tailed deer (CWDWtd) or derivatives of this isolate after it had been passaged through voles 1 or 5 times. We found that passage of the CWDWtd isolate through voles led to a change in the biologic behavior of the CWD agent, including increased attack rates and decreased incubation periods in raccoons. A better understanding of the dynamics of cross-species transmission of CWD prions can provide insights into how these infectious proteins evolve in new hosts.
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Gene-Edited Cell Models to Study Chronic Wasting Disease. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030609. [PMID: 35337016 PMCID: PMC8950194 DOI: 10.3390/v14030609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. They are caused by the misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), PrPSc, and currently no options exist to prevent or cure prion diseases. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk and other cervids is considered the most contagious prion disease, with extensive shedding of infectivity into the environment. Cell culture models provide a versatile platform for convenient quantification of prions, for studying the molecular and cellular biology of prions, and for performing high-throughput screening of potential therapeutic compounds. Unfortunately, only a very limited number of cell lines are available that facilitate robust and persistent propagation of CWD prions. Gene-editing using programmable nucleases (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9 (CC9)) has proven to be a valuable tool for high precision site-specific gene modification, including gene deletion, insertion, and replacement. CC9-based gene editing was used recently for replacing the PrP gene in mouse and cell culture models, as efficient prion propagation usually requires matching sequence homology between infecting prions and prion protein in the recipient host. As expected, such gene-editing proved to be useful for developing CWD models. Several transgenic mouse models were available that propagate CWD prions effectively, however, mostly fail to reproduce CWD pathogenesis as found in the cervid host, including CWD prion shedding. This is different for the few currently available knock-in mouse models that seem to do so. In this review, we discuss the available in vitro and in vivo models of CWD, and the impact of gene-editing strategies.
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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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24
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Sargeant GA, Wild MA, Schroeder GM, Powers JG, Galloway NL. Spatial network clustering reveals elk population structure and local variation in prevalence of chronic wasting disease. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Glen A. Sargeant
- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center U.S. Geological Survey 8711 37th St. SE Jamestown North Dakota 58401 USA
| | - Margaret A. Wild
- College of Veterinary Medicine Washington State University P.O. Box 647040 Pullman Washington 99164 USA
| | - Gregory M. Schroeder
- Wind Cave National Park National Park Service 26611 U.S. Highway 385 Hot Springs South Dakota 57747 USA
| | - Jenny G. Powers
- Biological Resources Division National Park Service 1201 Oakridge Drive #200 Fort Collins Colorado 80525 USA
| | - Nathan L. Galloway
- Biological Resources Division National Park Service 1201 Oakridge Drive #200 Fort Collins Colorado 80525 USA
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Tranulis MA, Gavier-Widén D, Våge J, Nöremark M, Korpenfelt SL, Hautaniemi M, Pirisinu L, Nonno R, Benestad SL. Chronic wasting disease in Europe: new strains on the horizon. Acta Vet Scand 2021; 63:48. [PMID: 34823556 PMCID: PMC8613970 DOI: 10.1186/s13028-021-00606-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders with known natural occurrence in humans and a few other mammalian species. The diseases are experimentally transmissible, and the agent is derived from the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC), which is misfolded into a pathogenic conformer, designated PrPSc (scrapie). Aggregates of PrPSc molecules, constitute proteinaceous infectious particles, known as prions. Classical scrapie in sheep and goats and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids are known to be infectious under natural conditions. In CWD, infected animals can shed prions via bodily excretions, allowing direct host-to-host transmission or indirectly via prion-contaminated environments. The robustness of prions means that transmission via the latter route can be highly successful and has meant that limiting the spread of CWD has proven difficult. In 2016, CWD was diagnosed for the first time in Europe, in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and European moose (Alces alces). Both were diagnosed in Norway, and, subsequently, more cases were detected in a semi-isolated wild reindeer population in the Nordfjella area, in which the first case was identified. This population was culled, and all reindeer (approximately 2400) were tested for CWD; 18 positive animals, in addition to the first diagnosed case, were found. After two years and around 25,900 negative tests from reindeer (about 6500 from wild and 19,400 from semi-domesticated) in Norway, a new case was diagnosed in a wild reindeer buck on Hardangervidda, south of the Nordfjella area, in 2020. Further cases of CWD were also identified in moose, with a total of eight in Norway, four in Sweden, and two cases in Finland. The mean age of these cases is 14.7 years, and the pathological features are different from North American CWD and from the Norwegian reindeer cases, resembling atypical prion diseases such as Nor98/atypical scrapie and H- and L-forms of BSE. In this review, these moose cases are referred to as atypical CWD. In addition, two cases were diagnosed in red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Norway. The emergence of CWD in Europe is a threat to European cervid populations, and, potentially, a food-safety challenge, calling for a swift, evidence-based response. Here, we review data on surveillance, epidemiology, and disease characteristics, including prion strain features of the newly identified European CWD agents.
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Kincaid AE. The Role of the Nasal Cavity in the Pathogenesis of Prion Diseases. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112287. [PMID: 34835094 PMCID: PMC8621399 DOI: 10.3390/v13112287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by the entry and spread of infectious prion proteins (PrPSc) in the central nervous system (CNS). These diseases are endemic to certain mammalian animal species that use their sense of smell for a variety of purposes and therefore expose their nasal cavity (NC) to PrPSc in the environment. Prion diseases that affect humans are either inherited due to a mutation of the gene that encodes the prion protein, acquired by exposure to contaminated tissues or medical devices, or develop without a known cause (referred to as sporadic). The purpose of this review is to identify components of the NC that are involved in prion transport and to summarize the evidence that the NC serves as a route of entry (centripetal spread) and/or a source of shedding (centrifugal spread) of PrPSc, and thus plays a role in the pathogenesis of the TSEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony E Kincaid
- Departments of Pharmacy Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
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27
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Smolko P, Seidel D, Pybus M, Hubbs A, Ball M, Merrill E. Spatio-temporal changes in chronic wasting disease risk in wild deer during 14 years of surveillance in Alberta, Canada. Prev Vet Med 2021; 197:105512. [PMID: 34740023 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Disease risk modeling is a key first step to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of wildlife disease and to direct cost-effective surveillance and management. In Alberta, active surveillance for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild cervids began in 1998 with the first case detected in free-ranging cervids in 2005. Following the detection, a herd reduction program was implemented during 2005-2008 and in 2006 the ongoing hunter-based CWD Surveillance Program became mandatory in high-risk Wildlife Management Units (WMU). We used data collected during the CWD surveillance program to 1) document growth in sex-specific CWD prevalence (proportion of deer in sample that is CWD-positive) in hunter-harvest deer in 6 WMUs consistently monitored from 2006 to 2018, 2) document landscape features associated with where CWD-positive compared to CWD-negative deer were removed during hunter harvest and herd reduction in an early (2005-2012) and in a late period (2013-2017), and 3) to map the spatial risk of harvesting a deer infected with CWD in the prairie parklands of Alberta. In the 6 continuously monitored WMUs, risk of a harvested deer being CWD positive increased from 2006 to 2018 with CWD prevalence remaining highest in male mule deer whereas overall growth rate in CWD prevalence was greater in female mule deer, but similar to male white-tailed deer. We found no evidence that the 3-year herd reduction program conducted immediately after CWD was first detected affected the rate at which CWD grew over the course of the invasion. Risk of deer being CWD-positive was the highest in animals taken near small stream drainages and on soils with low organic carbon content in the early period, whereas risk became highest in areas of agriculture especially when far from large river drainages where deer often concentrate in isolated woody patches. The change in the influence of proximity to known CWD-positive cases suggested the disease was initially patchy but became more spatially homogeneous over time. Our results indicate that a targeted-removal program will remove more CWD positive animals compared to hunter harvest. However, the discontinuation of targeted removals during our research program, restricted our ability to assess its long term impact on CWD prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Smolko
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada; Technical University in Zvolen, Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, 960 01, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Dana Seidel
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Margo Pybus
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada; Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6H 4P2, Canada
| | - Anne Hubbs
- Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6H 4P2, Canada
| | - Mark Ball
- Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6H 4P2, Canada
| | - Evelyn Merrill
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
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Moazami-Goudarzi K, Andréoletti O, Vilotte JL, Béringue V. Review on PRNP genetics and susceptibility to chronic wasting disease of Cervidae. Vet Res 2021; 52:128. [PMID: 34620247 PMCID: PMC8499490 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-021-00993-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most infectious form of prion disease affecting several captive, free ranging and wild cervid species. Responsible for marked population declines in North America, its geographical spread is now becoming a major concern in Europe. Polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (PRNP) are an important factor influencing the susceptibility to prions and their rate of propagation. All reported cervid PRNP genotypes are affected by CWD. However, in each species, some polymorphisms are associated with lower attack rates and slower progression of the disease. This has potential consequences in terms of genetic selection, CWD diffusion and strain evolution. CWD also presents a zoonotic risk due to prions capacity to cross species barriers. This review summarizes our current understanding of CWD control, focusing on PRNP genetic, strain diversity and capacity to infect other animal species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR INRAE ENVT 1225 - IHAP, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 31076, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- University Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- University Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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29
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Otero A, Velásquez CD, Aiken J, McKenzie D. Chronic wasting disease: a cervid prion infection looming to spillover. Vet Res 2021; 52:115. [PMID: 34488900 PMCID: PMC8420063 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-021-00986-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) during the last six decades has resulted in cervid populations of North America where CWD has become enzootic. This insidious disease has also been reported in wild and captive cervids from other continents, threatening ecosystems, livestock and public health. These CWD "hot zones" are particularly complex given the interplay between cervid PRNP genetics, the infection biology, the strain diversity of infectious prions and the long-term environmental persistence of infectivity, which hinder eradication efforts. Here, we review different aspects of CWD including transmission mechanisms, pathogenesis, epidemiology and assessment of interspecies infection. Further understanding of these aspects could help identify "control points" that could help reduce exposure for humans and livestock and decrease CWD spread between cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Otero
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Camilo Duque Velásquez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Judd Aiken
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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30
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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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31
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Prion Dissemination through the Environment and Medical Practices: Facts and Risks for Human Health. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005919. [PMID: 34319151 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00059-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal, infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting various species of mammals, including humans. The infectious agent in these diseases, termed prion, is composed exclusively of a misfolded protein that can spread and multiply in the absence of genetic materials. In this article, we provide an overview of the mechanisms of prion replication, interindividual transmission, and dissemination in communities. In particular, we review the potential role of the natural environment in prion transmission, including the mechanisms and pathways for prion entry and accumulation in the environment as well as its roles in prion mutation, adaptation, evolution, and transmission. We also discuss the transmission of prion diseases through medical practices, scientific research, and use of biological products. Detailed knowledge of these aspects is crucial to limit the spreading of existing prion diseases as well as to prevent the emergence of new diseases with possible catastrophic consequences for public health.
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Hannaoui S, Triscott E, Duque Velásquez C, Chang SC, Arifin MI, Zemlyankina I, Tang X, Bollinger T, Wille H, McKenzie D, Gilch S. New and distinct chronic wasting disease strains associated with cervid polymorphism at codon 116 of the Prnp gene. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009795. [PMID: 34310662 PMCID: PMC8341689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervids. Polymorphisms in the prion protein gene can result in extended survival of CWD-infected animals. However, the impact of polymorphisms on cellular prion protein (PrPC) and prion properties is less understood. Previously, we characterized the effects of a polymorphism at codon 116 (A>G) of the white-tailed deer (WTD) prion protein and determined that it destabilizes PrPC structure. Comparing CWD isolates from WTD expressing homozygous wild-type (116AA) or heterozygous (116AG) PrP, we found that 116AG-prions were conformationally less stable, more sensitive to proteases, with lower seeding activity in cell-free conversion and reduced infectivity. Here, we aimed to understand CWD strain emergence and adaptation. We show that the WTD-116AG isolate contains two different prion strains, distinguished by their host range, biochemical properties, and pathogenesis from WTD-116AA prions (Wisc-1). Serial passages of WTD-116AG prions in tg(CerPrP)1536+/+ mice overexpressing wild-type deer-PrPC revealed two populations of mice with short and long incubation periods, respectively, and remarkably prolonged clinical phase upon inoculation with WTD-116AG prions. Inoculation of serially diluted brain homogenates confirmed the presence of two strains in the 116AG isolate with distinct pathology in the brain. Interestingly, deglycosylation revealed proteinase K-resistant fragments with different electrophoretic mobility in both tg(CerPrP)1536+/+ mice and Syrian golden hamsters infected with WTD-116AG. Infection of tg60 mice expressing deer S96-PrP with 116AG, but not Wisc-1 prions induced clinical disease. On the contrary, bank voles resisted 116AG prions, but not Wisc-1 infection. Our data indicate that two strains co-existed in the WTD-116AG isolate, expanding the variety of CWD prion strains. We argue that the 116AG isolate does not contain Wisc-1 prions, indicating that the presence of 116G-PrPC diverted 116A-PrPC from adopting a Wisc-1 structure. This can have important implications for their possible distinct capacities to cross species barriers into both cervids and non-cervids. Chronic wasting disease belongs to the family of prion diseases. It is considered the most contagious prion disease and the only one that affects free ranging wildlife. The disease range is expanding in North America and Northern Europe. This work describes the emergence and characterization of new chronic wasting disease strains related to a polymorphism in the prion protein gene. It supports the concept that strains are a dynamic mixture of substrains that can influence and interfere with each other. Because transmission barriers are governed by the compatibility of a particular prion strain with the new host’s prion protein, it is critical to understand the emergence and variety of chronic wasting disease strains circulating in wild animals and their ability to infect new host species including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Hannaoui
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Hotchkiss Brain Institute; University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Triscott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Camilo Duque Velásquez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Sheng Chun Chang
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Hotchkiss Brain Institute; University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Maria Immaculata Arifin
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Hotchkiss Brain Institute; University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Irina Zemlyankina
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Hotchkiss Brain Institute; University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Xinli Tang
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Trent Bollinger
- Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Holger Wille
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Hotchkiss Brain Institute; University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- * E-mail:
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33
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Booth CJ, Lichtenberg SS, Chappell RJ, Pedersen JA. Chemical Inactivation of Prions Is Altered by Binding to the Soil Mineral Montmorillonite. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:859-870. [PMID: 33787209 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Environmental routes of transmission contribute to the spread of the prion diseases chronic wasting disease of deer and elk and scrapie of sheep and goats. Prions can persist in soils and other environmental matrices and remain infectious for years. Prions bind avidly to the common soil mineral montmorillonite, and such binding can dramatically increase oral disease transmission. Decontamination of soil in captive facilities and natural habitats requires inactivation agents that are effective when prions are bound to soil microparticles. Here, we investigate the inactivation of free and montmorillonite-bound prions with sodium hydroxide, acidic pH, Environ LpH, and sodium hypochlorite. Immunoblotting and bioassays confirm that sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite are effective for prion deactivation, although montmorillonite appears to reduce the efficacy of hypochlorite. Acidic conditions slightly reduce prion infectivity, and the acidic phenolic disinfectant Environ LpH produces slight reductions in infectivity and immunoreactivity. The extent to which the association with montmorillonite protects prions from chemical inactivation appears influenced by the effect of chemical agents on the clay structure and surface pH. When clay morphology remains relatively unaltered, as when exposed to hypochlorite, montmorillonite-bound prions appear to be protected from inactivation. In contrast, when the clay structure is substantially transformed, as when exposed to high concentrations of sodium hydroxide, the attachment to montmorillonite does not slow degradation. A reduction in surface pH appears to cause slight disruptions in clay structure, which enhances degradation under these conditions. We expect our findings will aid the development of remediation approaches for successful decontamination of prion-contaminated sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa J. Booth
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | | | - Richard J. Chappell
- Department of Biostatistics & Medical Informatics and Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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34
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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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Moudjou M, Castille J, Passet B, Herzog L, Reine F, Vilotte JL, Rezaei H, Béringue V, Igel-Egalon A. Improving the Predictive Value of Prion Inactivation Validation Methods to Minimize the Risks of Iatrogenic Transmission With Medical Instruments. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:591024. [PMID: 33335894 PMCID: PMC7736614 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.591024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are pathogenic infectious agents responsible for fatal, incurable neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. Prions are composed exclusively of an aggregated and misfolded form (PrPSc) of the cellular prion protein (PrPC). During the propagation of the disease, PrPSc recruits and misfolds PrPC into further PrPSc. In human, iatrogenic prion transmission has occurred with incompletely sterilized medical material because of the unusual resistance of prions to inactivation. Most commercial prion disinfectants validated against the historical, well-characterized laboratory strain of 263K hamster prions were recently shown to be ineffective against variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease human prions. These observations and previous reports support the view that any inactivation method must be validated against the prions for which they are intended to be used. Strain-specific variations in PrPSc physico-chemical properties and conformation are likely to explain the strain-specific efficacy of inactivation methods. Animal bioassays have long been used as gold standards to validate prion inactivation methods, by measuring reduction of prion infectivity. Cell-free assays such as the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay and the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assay have emerged as attractive alternatives. They exploit the seeding capacities of PrPSc to exponentially amplify minute amounts of prions in biospecimens. European and certain national medicine agencies recently implemented their guidelines for prion inactivation of non-disposable medical material; they encourage or request the use of human prions and cell-free assays to improve the predictive value of the validation methods. In this review, we discuss the methodological and technical issues regarding the choice of (i) the cell-free assay, (ii) the human prion strain type, (iii) the prion-containing biological material. We also introduce a new optimized substrate for high-throughput PMCA amplification of human prions bound on steel wires, as translational model for prion-contaminated instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Moudjou
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Johan Castille
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bruno Passet
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Laetitia Herzog
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Fabienne Reine
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Human Rezaei
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Angélique Igel-Egalon
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,FB.INT'L, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France
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Pan C, Yang J, Zhang X, Chen Y, Wei S, Yu G, Pan YH, Ma J, Yuan C. Oral Ingestion of Synthetically Generated Recombinant Prion Is Sufficient to Cause Prion Disease in Wild-Type Mice. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9080653. [PMID: 32823763 PMCID: PMC7459977 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9080653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion disease is a group of transmissible neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and animals. The prion hypothesis postulates that PrPSc, the pathogenic conformer of host-encoded prion protein (PrP), is the unconventional proteinaceous infectious agent called prion. Supporting this hypothesis, highly infectious prion has been generated in vitro with recombinant PrP plus defined non-protein cofactors and the synthetically generated prion (recPrPSc) is capable of causing prion disease in wild-type mice through intracerebral (i.c.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation. Given that many of the naturally occurring prion diseases are acquired through oral route, demonstrating the capability of recPrPSc to cause prion disease via oral transmission is important, but has never been proven. Here we showed for the first time that oral ingestion of recPrPSc is sufficient to cause prion disease in wild-type mice, which was supported by the development of fatal neurodegeneration in exposed mice, biochemical and histopathological analyses of diseased brains, and second round transmission. Our results demonstrate the oral transmissibility of recPrPSc and provide the missing evidence to support that the in vitro generated recPrPSc recapitulates all the important properties of naturally occurring prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhua Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Junwei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Xiangyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Ying Chen
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Shunxiong Wei
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Guohua Yu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, China;
| | - Yi-Hsuan Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Correspondence: (J.M.); (C.Y.)
| | - Chonggang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
- Correspondence: (J.M.); (C.Y.)
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Kuznetsova A, McKenzie D, Cullingham C, Aiken JM. Long-Term Incubation PrP CWD with Soils Affects Prion Recovery but Not Infectivity. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9040311. [PMID: 32340296 PMCID: PMC7238116 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9040311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious prion disease of cervids. The infectious agent is shed from animals at the preclinical and clinical stages of disease where it persists in the environment as a reservoir of CWD infectivity. In this study, we demonstrate that long-term incubation of CWD prions (generated from tg-mice infected with deer or elk prions) with illite, montmorillonite (Mte) and whole soils results in decreased recovery of PrPCWD, suggesting that binding becomes more avid and irreversible with time. This continual decline of immunoblot PrPCWD detection did not correlate with prion infectivity levels. Bioassay showed no significant differences in incubation periods between mice inoculated with 1% CWD brain homogenate (BH) and with the CWD-BH pre-incubated with quartz or Luvisolic Ae horizon for 1 or 30 weeks. After 55 weeks incubation with Chernozem and Luvisol, bound PrPCWD was not detectable by immunoblotting but remained infectious. This study shows that although recovery of PrPCWD bound to soil minerals and whole soils with time become more difficult, prion infectivity is not significantly altered. Detection of prions in soil is, therefore, not only affected by soil type but also by length of time of the prion–soil interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alsu Kuznetsova
- Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G8, Canada;
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada;
| | | | - Judd M. Aiken
- Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G8, Canada;
- Correspondence:
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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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Martin JL, Chamaillé-Jammes S, Waller DM. Deer, wolves, and people: costs, benefits and challenges of living together. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:782-801. [PMID: 32043747 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human-driven species annihilations loom as a major crisis. However the recovery of deer and wolf populations in many parts of the northern hemisphere has resulted in conflicts and controversies rather than in relief. Both species interact in complex ways with their environment, each other, and humans. We review these interactions in the context of the ecological and human costs and benefits associated with these species. We integrate scattered information to widen our perspective on the nature and perception of these costs and benefits and how they link to each other and ongoing controversies regarding how we manage deer and wolf populations. After revisiting the ecological roles deer and wolves play in contemporary ecosystems, we explore how they interact, directly and indirectly, with human groups including farmers, foresters, shepherds, and hunters. Interactions with deer and wolves generate various axes of tension, posing both ecological and sociological challenges. Resolving these tensions and conflicts requires that we address key questions using integrative approaches: what are the ecological consequences of deer and wolf recovery? How do they influence each other? What are the social and socio-ecological consequences of large deer populations and wolf presence? Finally, what key obstacles must be overcome to allow deer, wolves and people to coexist? Reviewing contemporary ecological and sociological results suggests insights and ways to improve our understanding and resolve long-standing challenges to coexistence. We should begin by agreeing to enhance aggregate benefits while minimizing the collective costs we incur by interacting with deer and wolves. We should also view these species, and ourselves, as parts of integrated ecosystems subject to long-term dynamics. If co-existence is our goal, we need deer and wolves to persevere in ways that are compatible with human interests. Our human interests, however, should be inclusive and fairly value all the costs and benefits deer and wolves entail including their intrinsic value. Shifts in human attitudes and cultural learning that are already occurring will reshape our ecological interactions with deer and wolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Louis Martin
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE - PSL, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Simon Chamaillé-Jammes
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE - PSL, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Donald M Waller
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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Güere ME, Våge J, Tharaldsen H, Benestad SL, Vikøren T, Madslien K, Hopp P, Rolandsen CM, Røed KH, Tranulis MA. Chronic wasting disease associated with prion protein gene ( PRNP) variation in Norwegian wild reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus). Prion 2019; 14:1-10. [PMID: 31852336 PMCID: PMC6959294 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2019.1702446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of CWD in Europe in 2016 and the first natural infection in wild reindeer warranted disease management. This led to the testing of 2424 hunted or culled reindeer during 2016–2018, from the infected subpopulation in the Nordfjella mountain range in Southern Norway. To identify any association between PRNP variation and CWD susceptibility, we characterized the open reading frame of the PRNP gene in 19 CWD positive reindeer and in 101 age category- and sex-matched CWD negative controls. Seven variant positions were identified: 6 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and a 24 base pair (bp) deletion located between nucleotide position 238 and 272, encoding four instead of five octapeptide repeats. With a single exception, all variant positions but one were predicted to be non-synonymous. The synonymous SNV and the deletion are novel in reindeer. Various combinations of the non-synonymous variant positions resulted in the identification of five PRNP alleles (A-E) that structured into 14 genotypes. We identified an increased CWD risk in reindeer carrying two copies of the most common allele, A, coding for serine in position 225 (Ser225) and in those carrying allele A together with the 24 bp deletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariella E Güere
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jørn Våge
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | - Helene Tharaldsen
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Petter Hopp
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Knut H Røed
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael A Tranulis
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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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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Hannaoui S, Arifin MI, Chang SC, Yu J, Gopalakrishnan P, Doh-Ura K, Schatzl HM, Gilch S. Cellulose ether treatment in vivo generates chronic wasting disease prions with reduced protease resistance and delayed disease progression. J Neurochem 2019; 152:727-740. [PMID: 31553058 PMCID: PMC7078990 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of free-ranging and farmed cervids that is highly contagious because of extensive prion shedding and prion persistence in the environment. Previously, cellulose ether compounds (CEs) have been shown to significantly extend the survival of mice inoculated with mouse-adapted prion strains. In this study, we used CEs, TC-5RW, and 60SH-50, in vitro and in vivo to assess their efficacy to interfere with CWD prion propagation. In vitro, CEs inhibited CWD prion amplification in a dose-dependent manner. Transgenic mice over-expressing elk PrPC (tgElk) were injected subcutaneously with a single dose of either of the CEs, followed by intracerebral inoculation with different CWD isolates from white tailed deer, mule deer, or elk. All treated groups showed a prolonged survival of up to more than 30 % when compared to the control group regardless of the CWD isolate used for infection. The extended survival in the treated groups correlated with reduced proteinase K resistance of prions. Remarkably, passage of brain homogenates from treated or untreated animals in tgElk mice resulted in a prolonged life span of mice inoculated with homogenates from CE-treated mice (of + 17%) even in the absence of further treatment. Besides the delayed disease onset upon passage in TgElk mice, the reduced proteinase K resistance was maintained but less pronounced. Therefore, these compounds can be very useful in limiting the spread of CWD in captive and wild-ranging cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Hannaoui
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Maria Immaculata Arifin
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Sheng Chun Chang
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Preetha Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Hermann M Schatzl
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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Rivera NA, Brandt AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Chronic Wasting Disease In Cervids: Prevalence, Impact And Management Strategies. VETERINARY MEDICINE (AUCKLAND, N.Z.) 2019; 10:123-139. [PMID: 31632898 PMCID: PMC6778748 DOI: 10.2147/vmrr.s197404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that affects members of the cervidae family. The infectious agent is a misfolded isoform (PrPSC) of the host prion protein (PrPC). The replication of PrPSC initiates a cascade of developmental changes that spread from cell to cell, individual to individual, and that for some TSEs, has crossed the species barrier. CWD can be transmitted horizontally and vertically, and it is the only TSE that affects free-ranging wildlife. While other TSEs are under control and even declining, infection rates of CWD continue to grow and the disease distribution continues to expand in North America and around the world. Since the first reported case in 1967, CWD has spread infecting captive and free-ranging cervids in 26 states in the US, 3 Canadian provinces, 3 European countries and has been found in captive cervids in South Korea. CWD causes considerable ecologic, economic and sociologic impact, as this is a 100% fatal highly contagious infectious disease, with no treatment or cure available. Because some TSEs have crossed the species barrier, the zoonotic potential of CWD is a concern for human health and continues to be investigated. Here we review the characteristics of the CWD prion protein, mechanisms of transmission and the role of genetics. We discuss the characteristics that contribute to prevalence and distribution. We also discuss the impact of CWD and review the management strategies that have been used to prevent and control the spread of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelda A Rivera
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Adam L Brandt
- Division of Natural Sciences, St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI, USA
| | - Jan E Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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Kumagai S, Daikai T, Onodera T. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
- A Review from the Perspective of Food Safety. Food Saf (Tokyo) 2019; 7:21-47. [PMID: 31998585 PMCID: PMC6978881 DOI: 10.14252/foodsafetyfscj.2018009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that belongs to transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). Since the first case was identified in the UK in 1986, BSE spread to other countries including Japan. Its incidence peaked in 1992 in the UK and from 2001 to 2006 in many other countries, but a feed ban aimed at eliminating the recycling of the BSE agent and other control measures aimed at preventing food and feed contamination with the agent were highly effective at reducing the spread of BSE. In 2004, two types of atypical BSE, H-type BSE (H-BSE) and L-type BSE (L-BSE), which differ from classical BSE (C-BSE), were found in France and Italy. Atypical BSE, which is assumed to occur spontaneously, has also been detected among cattle in other countries including Japan. The BSE agent including atypical BSE agent is a unique food-safety hazard with different chemical and biological properties from the microbial pathogens and toxic chemicals that contaminate food. In this review, we summarize the reported findings on the tissue distribution of BSE prions in infected cattle and other aspects of BSE, as well as the control measures against the disease employed in Japan. Topics that require further studies are discussed based on the summarized findings from the perspective of food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susumu Kumagai
- Research Center for Food Safety, The University of
Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657,
Japan
| | - Takateru Daikai
- Food Safety Commission of Japan Secretariat, Akasaka
Park Bld. 22F, Akasaka 5-2-20, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 107-6122, Japan
- Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine,
Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka-shi,
Iwate 020-8550, Japan
| | - Takashi Onodera
- Research Center for Food Safety, The University of
Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657,
Japan
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Somerville RA, Fernie K, Smith A, Bishop K, Maddison BC, Gough KC, Hunter N. BSE infectivity survives burial for five years with only limited spread. Arch Virol 2019; 164:1135-1145. [PMID: 30799509 PMCID: PMC6420460 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-019-04154-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The carcasses of animals infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), scrapie or chronic wasting disease (CWD) that remain in the environment (exposed or buried) may continue to act as reservoirs of infectivity. We conducted two experiments under near-field conditions to investigate the survival and dissemination of BSE infectivity after burial in a clay or sandy soil. BSE infectivity was either contained within a bovine skull or buried as an uncontained bolus of BSE-infected brain. Throughout the five-year period of the experiment, BSE infectivity was recovered in similar amounts from heads exhumed annually from both types of soil. Very low levels of infectivity were detected in the soil immediately surrounding the heads, but not in samples remote from them. Similarly, there was no evidence of significant lateral movement of infectivity from the buried bolus over 4 years although there was a little vertical movement in both directions. However, bioassay analysis of limited numbers of samples of rain water that had drained through the bolus clay lysimeter indicated that infectivity was present in filtrates. sPMCA analysis also detected low levels of PrPSc in the filtrates up to 25 months following burial, raising the concern that leakage of infectivity into ground water could occur. We conclude that transmissible spongiform encephalopathy infectivity is likely to survive burial for long periods of time, but not to migrate far from the site of burial unless a vector or rain water drainage transports it. Risk assessments of contaminated sites should take these findings into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Somerville
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Karen Fernie
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Allister Smith
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Keith Bishop
- ADAS Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, The University of Nottingham, College Rd., Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Ben C Maddison
- ADAS Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, The University of Nottingham, College Rd., Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Kevin C Gough
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, The University of Nottingham, College Rd., Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Nora Hunter
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK.
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46
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Mysterud A, Edmunds DR. A review of chronic wasting disease in North America with implications for Europe. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1260-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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47
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Kuznetsova A, Cullingham C, McKenzie D, Aiken JM. Soil humic acids degrade CWD prions and reduce infectivity. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007414. [PMID: 30496301 PMCID: PMC6264147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an environmentally transmissible, fatal prion disease is endemic in North America, present in South Korea and has recently been confirmed in northern Europe. The expanding geographic range of this contagious disease of free-ranging deer, moose, elk and reindeer has resulted in increasing levels of prion infectivity in the environment. Soils are involved in CWD horizontal transmission, acting as an environmental reservoir, and soil mineral and organic compounds have the ability to bind prions. Upper horizons of soils are usually enriched with soil organic matter (SOM), however, the role of SOM in prion conservation and mobility remains unclear. In this study, we show that incubation of PrPCWD with humic acids (HA), a major SOM compound, affects both the molecular weight and recovery of PrPCWD. Detection of PrPCWD is reduced as HA concentration increases. Native HA extracted from pristine soils also reduces or entirely eliminates PrPCWD signal. Incubation of CWD prions with HA significantly increased incubation periods in tgElk mice demonstrating that HA can reduce CWD infectivity. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious prion disease affecting several species of captive and wild cervids. Environmental prion contamination plays a major role in increasing incidence of CWD, with CWD infectivity being released into the environment by decaying carcasses, or shedding of biological fluids including urine, feces, and saliva. Horizontal transmission of CWD involves soils as an environmental reservoir of infectivity. Here, we tested the role of a soil organic matter compound, humic acid, for its ability to bind CWD prions and impact infectivity. A wide range of humic acid concentrations were examined representing the extensive spectrum of humic acid levels present in native soils. We found that incubation of CWD prions with high concentrations of humic acids (>2.5 g L-1) decreases the both CWD-prion signal and infectivity, whereas lower levels of humic acids did not significantly impact protein stability or infectivity. Our study provides new insights into soil-prion interactions, prions persistence in soil, and their bioavailability to grazing animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alsu Kuznetsova
- Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Debbie McKenzie
- Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Judd M. Aiken
- Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- * E-mail:
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48
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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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49
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Ricci A, Allende A, Bolton D, Chemaly M, Davies R, Fernández Escámez PS, Gironés R, Herman L, Koutsoumanis K, Lindqvist R, Nørrung B, Robertson L, Ru G, Sanaa M, Skandamis P, Snary E, Speybroeck N, Kuile BT, Threlfall J, Wahlström H, Adkin A, Greiner M, Marchis D, Prado M, Da Silva Felicio T, Ortiz-Pelaez A, Simmons M. Updated quantitative risk assessment (QRA) of the BSE risk posed by processed animal protein (PAP). EFSA J 2018; 16:e05314. [PMID: 32625957 PMCID: PMC7009728 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
EFSA was requested: to assess the impact of a proposed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) 'technical zero' on the limit of detection of official controls for constituents of ruminant origin in feed, to review and update the 2011 QRA, and to estimate the cattle bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk posed by the contamination of feed with BSE-infected bovine-derived processed animal protein (PAP), should pig PAP be re-authorised in poultry feed and vice versa, using both light microscopy and ruminant qPCR methods, and action limits of 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 DNA copies. The current qPCR cannot discriminate between legitimately added bovine material and unauthorised contamination, or determine if any detected ruminant material is associated with BSE infectivity. The sensitivity of the surveillance for the detection of material of ruminant origin in feed is currently limited due to the heterogeneous distribution of the material, practicalities of sampling and test performance. A 'technical zero' will further reduce it. The updated model estimated a total BSE infectivity four times lower than that estimated in 2011, with less than one new case of BSE expected to arise each year. In the hypothetical scenario of a whole carcass of an infected cow entering the feed chain without any removal of specified risk material (SRM) or reduction of BSE infectivity via rendering, up to four new cases of BSE could be expected at the upper 95th percentile. A second model estimated that at least half of the feed containing material of ruminant origin will not be detected or removed from the feed chain, if an interpretation cut-off point of 100 DNA copies or more is applied. If the probability of a contaminated feed sample increased to 5%, with an interpretation cut-off point of 300 DNA copies, there would be a fourfold increase in the proportion of all produced feed that is contaminated but not detected.
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50
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Moreno JA, Telling GC. Molecular Mechanisms of Chronic Wasting Disease Prion Propagation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2018; 8:cshperspect.a024448. [PMID: 28193766 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a024448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Prion disease epidemics, which have been unpredictable recurrences, are of significant concern for animal and human health. Examples include kuru, once the leading cause of death among the Fore people in Papua New Guinea and caused by mortuary feasting; bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its subsequent transmission to humans in the form of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), and repeated examples of large-scale prion disease epidemics in animals caused by contaminated vaccines. The etiology of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a relatively new and burgeoning prion epidemic in deer, elk, and moose (members of the cervid family), is more enigmatic. The disease was first described in captive and later in wild mule deer and subsequently in free-ranging as well as captive Rocky Mountain elk, white-tailed deer, and most recently moose. It is therefore the only recognized prion disorder of both wild and captive animals. In addition to its expanding range of hosts, CWD continues to spread to new geographical areas, including recent cases in Norway. The unparalleled efficiency of the contagious transmission of the disease combined with high densities of deer in certain areas of North America complicates strategies for controlling CWD and raises concerns about its potential spread to new species. Because there is a high prevalence of CWD in deer and elk, which are commonly hunted and consumed by humans, the possibility of zoonotic transmission is particularly concerning. Here, we review the current status of naturally occurring CWD and describe advances in our understanding of its molecular pathogenesis, as shown by studies of CWD prions in novel in vivo and in vitro systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Moreno
- Prion Research Center (PRC) and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
| | - Glenn C Telling
- Prion Research Center (PRC) and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
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