Epidemiology of Chronic Wasting Disease: PrPres Detection, Shedding and Environmental Contamination
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk is unique among the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Our long-term goal is to better understand the epidemiology of CWD and thus develop strategies for management and control. The specific goals of these studies are to develop sensitive assays for PrP(exp res) as a marker for infectivity, and use these techniques to monitor the dynamics and modes of shedding of PrP(exp res) from orally infected mule and white-tailed deer and elk. Finally these techniques will be applied to investigating the nature of environmental contamination that may be associated with CND transmission. Protease resistant prion protein from brains of CWD affected deer and elk (PrP(exp res)) and cellular PrP(exp c) were purified and used in a variety of detection assays. PrP(exp res) was detected using antibody based techniques but not, as of yet, by potentially more sensitive detection methods. Deer and elk have been obtained and the infrastructure is in place to begin the studies of CWD shedding in vivo. In addition, in support of investigations of environmental contamination by the CWD agent, we have mapped areas of high, moderate, and low CWD contamination at two CWD endemic facilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA446883
Entities
People
- Randolph V Lewis
Organizations
- University of Wyoming