Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Fetal Tissues of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer
The transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has largely been attributed to contact with infectious prions shed in excretions (saliva, urine, feces, blood) by direct animal-to-animal exposure or indirect contact with the environment. Less-well studied has been the role that mother-to-offspring...
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/12/2430 |
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| author | Amy V. Nalls Erin E. McNulty Amber Mayfield James M. Crum Michael K. Keel Edward A. Hoover Mark G. Ruder Candace K. Mathiason |
| author_facet | Amy V. Nalls Erin E. McNulty Amber Mayfield James M. Crum Michael K. Keel Edward A. Hoover Mark G. Ruder Candace K. Mathiason |
| author_sort | Amy V. Nalls |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has largely been attributed to contact with infectious prions shed in excretions (saliva, urine, feces, blood) by direct animal-to-animal exposure or indirect contact with the environment. Less-well studied has been the role that mother-to-offspring transmission may play in the facile transmission of CWD, and whether mother-to-offspring transmission before birth may contribute to the extensive spread of CWD. We thereby focused on a population of free-ranging white-tailed deer from West Virginia, USA, in which CWD has been detected. Fetal tissues, ranging from 113 to 158 days of gestation, were harvested from the uteri of CWD+ dams in the asymptomatic phase of infection. Using serial protein misfolding amplification (sPMCA), we detected evidence of prion seeds in 7 of 14 fetuses (50%) from 7 of 9 pregnancies (78%), with the earliest detection at 113 gestational days. This is the first report of CWD detection in free ranging white-tailed deer fetal tissues. Further investigation within cervid populations across North America will help define the role and impact of mother-to-offspring vertical transmission of CWD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:55:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0e7e39f9cc84d5a97b08c0443a5b3d5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:55:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0e7e39f9cc84d5a97b08c0443a5b3d52023-11-23T10:57:49ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-12-011312243010.3390/v13122430Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Fetal Tissues of Free-Ranging White-Tailed DeerAmy V. Nalls0Erin E. McNulty1Amber Mayfield2James M. Crum3Michael K. Keel4Edward A. Hoover5Mark G. Ruder6Candace K. Mathiason7Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USADepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USADepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USAWildlife Resources Section, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Elkins, WV 26241, USADepartment of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USADepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USASoutheastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USADepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USAThe transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has largely been attributed to contact with infectious prions shed in excretions (saliva, urine, feces, blood) by direct animal-to-animal exposure or indirect contact with the environment. Less-well studied has been the role that mother-to-offspring transmission may play in the facile transmission of CWD, and whether mother-to-offspring transmission before birth may contribute to the extensive spread of CWD. We thereby focused on a population of free-ranging white-tailed deer from West Virginia, USA, in which CWD has been detected. Fetal tissues, ranging from 113 to 158 days of gestation, were harvested from the uteri of CWD+ dams in the asymptomatic phase of infection. Using serial protein misfolding amplification (sPMCA), we detected evidence of prion seeds in 7 of 14 fetuses (50%) from 7 of 9 pregnancies (78%), with the earliest detection at 113 gestational days. This is the first report of CWD detection in free ranging white-tailed deer fetal tissues. Further investigation within cervid populations across North America will help define the role and impact of mother-to-offspring vertical transmission of CWD.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/12/2430prionschronic wasting diseasemother-to-offspring transmissionsPMCART-QuICfetal tissues |
| spellingShingle | Amy V. Nalls Erin E. McNulty Amber Mayfield James M. Crum Michael K. Keel Edward A. Hoover Mark G. Ruder Candace K. Mathiason Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Fetal Tissues of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer Viruses prions chronic wasting disease mother-to-offspring transmission sPMCA RT-QuIC fetal tissues |
| title | Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Fetal Tissues of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer |
| title_full | Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Fetal Tissues of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer |
| title_fullStr | Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Fetal Tissues of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Fetal Tissues of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer |
| title_short | Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Fetal Tissues of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer |
| title_sort | detection of chronic wasting disease prions in fetal tissues of free ranging white tailed deer |
| topic | prions chronic wasting disease mother-to-offspring transmission sPMCA RT-QuIC fetal tissues |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/12/2430 |
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