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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #401927
Research Project: Elucidating the Pathobiology and Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Scrapie as the potential origin of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer

Author
item LAMBERT, ZOE - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item WEST GREENLEE, HEATHER - Iowa State University
item Bian, Jifeng
item Cassmann, Eric
item Greenlee, Justin

Submitted to: Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2023
Publication Date: 5/30/2023
Citation: Lambert, Z.J., West Greenlee, H.M., Bian, J., Cassmann, E.D., Greenlee, J.J. 2023. Scrapie as the potential origin of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer (abstract). Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium Proceedings. 4th International Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium, May 30-June 3, 2023, Denver, Colorado.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: White-tailed deer (WTD) are susceptible to the scrapie agent from sheep after oronasal inoculation. However, results from western blotting these brainstems and lymph nodes are difficult to differentiate from WTD infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD). Tissues were examined via enzyme immunoassay (IDEXX), western blot, immunohistochemistry, and bioassay in cervidized mice (Tg12) in order to assess tissue phenotypes upon subsequent passage of the scrapie agent in WTD. All WTD were euthanized and necropsied following the development of clinical disease and were positive for abnormal prion protein by enzyme immunoassay. Western blotting of retinas from all WTD (second pass) resulted in a similar molecular profile as the retinas of WTD that were inoculated with the agent of scrapie from sheep (first pass). Immunohistochemical staining also was similar between inoculation groups and the initial passage from sheep, but different from WTD inoculated with the agent of CWD. Following bioassays in cervidized mice, all incubation periods were over 300 days, substantially longer than the approximately 200-day incubation period typical with CWD isolates. Based upon analysis of retinal tissues, it is possible to differentiate the agents of scrapie and CWD in WTD by both western blot and immunohistochemistry. Bioassay in cervidized mice further supports this based on incubation periods of WTD-scrapie being approximately twice that of WTD CWD.