Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer (cervids) caused by misfolded prion proteins. The disease has been reported across North America and recently discovered in northern Europe. Transmission of CWD in wild cervid populations can occur t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2018-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5931637?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1811230085237178368 |
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| author | Ian H Plummer Chad J Johnson Alexandra R Chesney Joel A Pedersen Michael D Samuel |
| author_facet | Ian H Plummer Chad J Johnson Alexandra R Chesney Joel A Pedersen Michael D Samuel |
| author_sort | Ian H Plummer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer (cervids) caused by misfolded prion proteins. The disease has been reported across North America and recently discovered in northern Europe. Transmission of CWD in wild cervid populations can occur through environmental routes, but limited ability to detect prions in environmental samples has prevented the identification of potential transmission "hot spots". We establish widespread CWD prion contamination of mineral licks used by free-ranging cervids in an enzootic area in Wisconsin, USA. We show mineral licks can serve as reservoirs of CWD prions and thus facilitate disease transmission. Furthermore, mineral licks attract livestock and other wildlife that also obtain mineral nutrients via soil and water consumption. Exposure to CWD prions at mineral licks provides potential for cross-species transmission to wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Managing deer use of mineral licks warrants further consideration to help control outbreaks of CWD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:24:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b9da15bcbf1844a99308f252de4891da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:24:09Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-b9da15bcbf1844a99308f252de4891da2022-12-22T03:37:01ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-01135e019674510.1371/journal.pone.0196745Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions.Ian H PlummerChad J JohnsonAlexandra R ChesneyJoel A PedersenMichael D SamuelChronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer (cervids) caused by misfolded prion proteins. The disease has been reported across North America and recently discovered in northern Europe. Transmission of CWD in wild cervid populations can occur through environmental routes, but limited ability to detect prions in environmental samples has prevented the identification of potential transmission "hot spots". We establish widespread CWD prion contamination of mineral licks used by free-ranging cervids in an enzootic area in Wisconsin, USA. We show mineral licks can serve as reservoirs of CWD prions and thus facilitate disease transmission. Furthermore, mineral licks attract livestock and other wildlife that also obtain mineral nutrients via soil and water consumption. Exposure to CWD prions at mineral licks provides potential for cross-species transmission to wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Managing deer use of mineral licks warrants further consideration to help control outbreaks of CWD.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5931637?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Ian H Plummer Chad J Johnson Alexandra R Chesney Joel A Pedersen Michael D Samuel Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions. PLoS ONE |
| title | Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions. |
| title_full | Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions. |
| title_fullStr | Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions. |
| title_short | Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions. |
| title_sort | mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5931637?pdf=render |
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