1
|
Mori J, Rivera N, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla N. A review of chronic wasting disease (CWD) spread, surveillance, and control in the United States captive cervid industry. Prion 2024; 18:54-67. [PMID: 38648377 PMCID: PMC11037284 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2024.2343220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease of the family Cervidae that circulates in both wild and captive cervid populations. This disease threatens the health and economic viability of the captive cervid industry, which raises cervids in contained spaces for purposes such as hunting and breeding. Given the high transmissibility and long incubation period of CWD, the introduction and propagation of the infectious prion protein within and between captive cervid farms could be devastating to individual facilities and to the industry as a whole. Despite this risk, there does not yet exist a literature review that summarizes the scientific knowledge, to date, about CWD spread, surveillance, or control measures. Our review, which focused on peer reviewed, primary research conducted in the United States, sought to address this need by searching Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science with a five-term keyword string containing terms related to the (1) location, (2) species affected, (3) disease, (4) captive cervid industry, and (5) topic of focus. Between the three databases, there were 190 articles that were selected for further examination. Those articles were then read to determine if they were about CWD spread, surveillance, and/or control in captive cervid facilities. The 22 articles that met these inclusion criteria were evaluated in detail and discussed, with recommendations for future collaborative work between captive cervid owners, government agencies, and researchers. This work will help to address, inform, and mitigate the rising problem of CWD spread and establishment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jameson Mori
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Nelda Rivera
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Jan Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Nohra Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kotwa JD, Lobb B, Massé A, Gagnier M, Aftanas P, Banerjee A, Banete A, Blais-Savoie J, Bowman J, Buchanan T, Chee HY, Kruczkiewicz P, Nirmalarajah K, Soos C, Vernygora O, Yip L, Lindsay LR, McGeer AJ, Maguire F, Lung O, Doxey AC, Pickering B, Mubareka S. Genomic and transcriptomic characterization of delta SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). iScience 2023; 26:108319. [PMID: 38026171 PMCID: PMC10665813 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
White-tailed deer (WTD) are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and represent an important species for surveillance. Samples from WTD (n = 258) collected in November 2021 from Québec, Canada were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We employed viral genomics and host transcriptomics to further characterize infection and investigate host response. We detected Delta SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.617.2) in WTD from the Estrie region; sequences clustered with human sequences from October 2021 from Vermont, USA, which borders this region. Mutations in the S-gene and a deletion in ORF8 were detected. Host expression patterns in SARS-CoV-2 infected WTD were associated with the innate immune response, including signaling pathways related to anti-viral, pro- and anti-inflammatory signaling, and host damage. We found limited correlation between genes associated with innate immune response from human and WTD nasal samples, suggesting differences in responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings provide preliminary insights into host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in naturally infected WTD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Briallen Lobb
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Ariane Massé
- Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs, Québec City, QC G1S 4X4, Canada
| | - Marianne Gagnier
- Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs, Québec City, QC G1S 4X4, Canada
| | | | - Arinjay Banerjee
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Andra Banete
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | | | - Jeff Bowman
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5, Canada
| | - Tore Buchanan
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5, Canada
| | - Hsien-Yao Chee
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Global Health Research Center and Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215316, China
| | - Peter Kruczkiewicz
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Soos
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3H5, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Oksana Vernygora
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4, Canada
| | - Lily Yip
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - L. Robbin Lindsay
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3L5, Canada
| | - Allison J. McGeer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Finlay Maguire
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Shared Hospital Laboratory, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Oliver Lung
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Andrew C. Doxey
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Bradley Pickering
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Samira Mubareka
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Thompson NE, Huang MHJ, Christensen SA, Demarais S. Wildlife agency responses to chronic wasting disease in free‐ranging cervids. WILDLIFE SOC B 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
|
4
|
Varga C, McDonald P, Brown WM, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus‐Pinilla NE. Evaluating the ability of a locally focused culling program in removing chronic wasting disease infected free-ranging white-tailed deer in Illinois, USA, 2003-2020. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:2867-2878. [PMID: 34953169 PMCID: PMC9786818 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In northern Illinois, chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first identified in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter referred to as "deer") in 2002. To reduce CWD transmission rates in Illinois, wildlife biologists have conducted locally focussed culling of deer since 2003 in areas where CWD has been detected. We used retrospective spatial, temporal and space-time scan statistical models to identify areas and periods where culling removed higher than expected numbers of CWD-positive deer. We included 490 Public Land Survey "sections" (∼2.59 km2 ) from 15 northern Illinois counties in which at least one deer tested positive for CWD between 2003 and 2020. A negative binomial regression model compared the proportion of CWD positive cases removed from sections with at least one CWD case detected in the previous years, "local area 1 (L1)," to the proportion of CWD cases in adjacent sections-L2, L3, and L4-designated by their increasing distance from L1. Of the 14,661 deer removed and tested via culling, 325 (2.22 %) were CWD-positive. A single temporal CWD cluster occurred in 2020. Three spatial clusters were identified, with a primary cluster located at the border of Boone and Winnebago counties. Four space-time clusters were identified with a primary cluster in the northern portion of the study area from 2003 to 2005 that overlapped with the spatial cluster. The proportion of CWD cases removed from L1 (3.92, 95% CI, 2.56-6.01) and L2 (2.32, 95% CI, 1.50-3.59) were significantly higher compared to L3. Focussing culling efforts on accessible properties closest to L1 areas results in more CWD-infected deer being removed, which highlights the value of collaborations among landowners, hunters, and wildlife management agencies to control CWD. Continuous evaluation and updating of the culling and surveillance programs are essential to mitigate the health burden of CWD on deer populations in Illinois.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Varga
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Patrick McDonald
- Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesDivision of Wildlife ResourcesSpringfieldIllinoisUSA
| | - William M. Brown
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesDivision of Wildlife ResourcesSpringfieldIllinoisUSA
| | - Alfred L. Roca
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Jan E. Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Nohra E. Mateus‐Pinilla
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Haworth SE, Nituch L, Northrup JM, Shafer ABA. Characterizing the demographic history and prion protein variation to infer susceptibility to chronic wasting disease in a naïve population of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). Evol Appl 2021; 14:1528-1539. [PMID: 34178102 PMCID: PMC8210793 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessments of the adaptive potential in natural populations are essential for understanding and predicting responses to environmental stressors like climate change and infectious disease. Species face a range of stressors in human-dominated landscapes, often with contrasting effects. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; deer) are expanding in the northern part of their range following decreasing winter severity and increasing forage availability. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease affecting deer, is likewise expanding and represents a major threat to deer and other cervids. We obtained tissue samples from free-ranging deer across their native range in Ontario, Canada, which has yet to detect CWD in wild populations. We used high-throughput sequencing to assess neutral genomic variation and variation in the prion protein gene (PRNP) that is partly responsible for the protein misfolding when deer contract CWD. Neutral variation revealed a high number of rare alleles and no population structure, and demographic models suggested a rapid historical population expansion. Allele frequencies of PRNP variants associated with CWD susceptibility and disease progression were evenly distributed across the landscape and consistent with deer populations not infected with CWD. We estimated the selection coefficient of CWD, with simulations showing an observable and rapid shift in PRNP allele frequencies that coincides with the start of a novel CWD outbreak. Sustained surveillance of genomic and PRNP variation can be a useful tool for guiding management practices, which is especially important for CWD-free regions where deer are managed for ecological and economic benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Haworth
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Larissa Nituch
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Joseph M. Northrup
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Aaron B. A. Shafer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
- Department of ForensicsTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Maraud S, Roturier S. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Sami Reindeer Herding: The Socio-Political Dimension of an Epizootic in an Indigenous Context. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:297. [PMID: 33503846 PMCID: PMC7911299 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most transmissible of the prion diseases. In 2016, an unexpected case was found in Norway, the first in Europe. Since then, there have been 32 confirmed cases in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. This paper aims to examine the situation from a social and political perspective: considering the management of CWD in the Swedish part of Sápmi-the Sami ancestral land; identifying the place of the Sami people in the risk management-because of the threats to Sami reindeer herding that CWD presents; and understanding how the disease can modify the modalities of Indigenous reindeer husbandry, whether or not CWD is epizootic. Based on interviews with various stakeholders and by examining the social sciences literature, this paper shows that the health risk management is structured by a politico-scientific controversy about the recognition, or not, of atypical and classical CWD. The Sami herders are currently cooperating with the state authorities in the surveillance program to sample their herds. This involvement takes place in a situation where the balance of power between the Sami people and the state, or the European Union, is framed by its colonial context. This has consequences with respect to the definition of a common interest and to implementing sanitary measures. The particular features of reindeer herding are seen as a challenge to managing CWD risk, compared with European health standards. We argue that CWD will greatly modify the modalities of Indigenous reindeer herding, whether there are positive cases or not in the Sami reindeer. By implementing new health guidelines, the authorities will create a cascading effect in Sami land and its use. The CWD situation in Fennoscandia is full of uncertainty but may cause a major shift in the organization and the governance of Sápmi. In September 2020, the identification of a new CWD case in a wild reindeer in Norway started a new episode in the disease management in Fennoscandia. Our paper raises various questions linked to understanding this new step in this crisis which is not only epidemiological, but also socio-cultural and political.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Maraud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91405 Orsay, France;
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hedman HD, Varga C, Brown WM, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Spatial analysis of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Illinois, 2008-2019. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:2376-2383. [PMID: 33112021 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the geographic distribution and clustering of chronic wasting disease (CWD) among free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations can inform disease management practices. We used a retrospective analysis of surveillance data to evaluate CWD's spatial and temporal dynamics within 16 CWD-infected northern Illinois counties. Of 42,541 deer samples collected and tested for CWD from recreational hunter harvest between 2008 and 2019, we recorded 359 (0.84%) CWD-positive samples. We observed variability in CWD cases over time and space. By county, the median CWD-positive proportion was 0.84%, varying from a minimum of 0.14% in McHenry County to a maximum of 6.28% in Boone County. Across years, there were differences among CWD-positive proportions with a median of 0.90%, ranging from a minimum of 0.27% in 2012 to a maximum of 1.60% in 2019. We used a retrospective discrete Poisson scan statistic model to evaluate the space-time clustering of CWD-positive deer. We identified a statistically significant (p < .001) primary cluster C1 (area = 23.59 km2 ; RR = 10.48), occurring from 2010 to 2015 in the north-central part of the study area, and a secondary cluster C2, occurring from 2014 to 2019 (area = 9.27 km2 ; RR = 3.88) in the north-west of the study area. Detected CWD-positive space-time clusters suggest that the risk of CWD is not random. Space-time clusters of CWD can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Illinois CWD management programme. The area surrounding the older C1 cluster has undergone longer and more intense CWD management compared with C2. Currently, the older C1 cluster is no longer as high risk compared with the newer cluster C2, suggesting that management efforts in C2 should be increased. However, all CWD clusters should be targeted with surveillance, prevention and management programmes, including reducing deer densities to limit further spread of CWD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayden D Hedman
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Csaba Varga
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - William M Brown
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jan E Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Arifin MI, Staskevicius A, Shim SY, Huang YH, Fenton H, McLoughlin PD, Mitchell G, Cullingham CI, Gilch S. Large-scale prion protein genotyping in Canadian caribou populations and potential impact on chronic wasting disease susceptibility. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3830-3840. [PMID: 32810895 PMCID: PMC7590118 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphisms within the prion protein gene (Prnp) are an intrinsic factor that can modulate chronic wasting disease (CWD) pathogenesis in cervids. Although wild European reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) were infected with CWD, as yet there have been no reports of the disease in North American caribou (R. tarandus spp.). Previous Prnp genotyping studies on approximately 200 caribou revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at codons 2 (V/M), 129 (G/S), 138 (S/N), 146 (N/n) and 169 (V/M). The impact of these polymorphisms on CWD transmission is mostly unknown, except for codon 138. Reindeer carrying at least one allele encoding for asparagine (138NN or 138SN) are less susceptible to clinical CWD upon infection by natural routes, with the majority of prions limited to extraneural tissues. We sequenced the Prnp coding region of two caribou subspecies (n = 986) from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, to identify SNPs and their frequencies. Genotype frequencies at codon 138 differed significantly between barren-ground (R. t. groenlandicus) and woodland (R. t. caribou) caribou when we excluded the Chinchaga herd (p < .05). We also found new variants at codons 153 (Y/F) and 242 (P/L). Our findings show that the 138N allele is rare among caribou in areas with higher risk of contact with CWD-infected species. As both subspecies are classified as Threatened and play significant roles in North American Indigenous culture, history, food security and the economy, determining frequencies of Prnp genotypes associated with susceptibility to CWD is important for future wildlife management measures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Immaculata Arifin
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Antanas Staskevicius
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Su Yeon Shim
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Yuan-Hung Huang
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Heather Fenton
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts
| | | | - Gordon Mitchell
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| |
Collapse
|