National Scrapie Eradication Program
 
February 2016 Monthly Report
 
Fiscal Year 2016 
 
Positive Cases and Infected/Source Flocks
 
Positive Scrapie Cases*
 
Twelve positive cases have been reported in FY 2016. Eight of the cases 
were from a source flock that was designated in October because of an RSSS 
positive animal reported in September 2015. Location of the cases is shown in 
Table 1and Figure 1, and distribution by face-color (sheep) and type (goats) is 
shown in Table 2.
 
The 2 positive goat cases found in FY 2015 increased the number of 
confirmed cases in goats since FY 2002 to 41 (Figure 2). No goats have tested 
positive in FY 2016. Infected and Source Flocks
 
As of February 29, 2016, there were four flocks with an open infected or 
source status
 
(Figure 3). One infected and three source flocks have been designated in FY 
2016 (Figure 4); one flock completed a clean-up plan and was released in 
December 2015 (Figure 5). New infected and source statuses from FY 1997 to FY 
2016 are depicted in Chart 2.
 
Introduction –Positive Cases & Infected/Source Flocks
 
*Samples collected between October 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016 and 
confirmed by March 15, 2016. 
 
Surveillance
 
Regulatory Scrapie Slaughter Surveillance (RSSS)
 
RSSS started April 1, 2003. It is a targeted slaughter surveillance program 
which is designed to identify infected flocks. Samples have been collected from 
496,370 animals since April 1, 2003. There have been 479 NVSL confirmed positive 
animals* (471 classical cases and 8 Nor98-like cases) since the beginning of 
RSSS. As of February 29, 2016, 13,768 samples have been collected in FY 2016, 
10,849 from sheep and 2,919 from goats.
 
As of February 29, 2016, one black-faced sheep* tested positive for scrapie 
in FY 2016. The weighted percentage of samples that have tested positive for 
each face color** from FY 2003 through FY 2016 is depicted in Chart 3a. In 
November 2013, administrative units within APHIS Veterinary Services reorganized 
from 2 Regions to 6 Districts (Figure 6). The distribution of sheep and goat 
populations by District is depicted in Chart 4a. The number of animals collected 
for FY 2016 by District where collected is shown in Chart 4b. A monthly 
comparison of RSSS collections by fiscal year is displayed in Chart 5. Chart 6is 
a retrospective 6-month rolling average of the percent positive, black-faced 
sheep sampled at RSSS collection sites.
 
*RSSS positives are reported based on collection date and may have been 
confirmed after February 29, 2016. ** White, black and mottled face color sheep 
are weighted based on population. White faced sheep have the highest weight, so 
when the uncommon white face positive sheep is found it will cause this 
statistic to increase. 
 
 
Research Project: TRANSMISSION, DIFFERENTIATION, AND PATHOBIOLOGY OF 
TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES 
 
*** Title: Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended 
silent incubation period 
 
Authors 
 
item Comoy, Emmanuel - item Mikol, Jacqueline - item Luccantoni-Freire, 
Sophie - item Correia, Evelyne - item Lescoutra-Etchegaray, Nathalie - item 
Durand, Valérie - item Dehen, Capucine - item Andreoletti, Olivier - item 
Casalone, Cristina - item Richt, Juergen item Greenlee, Justin item Baron, 
Thierry - item Benestad, Sylvie - item Hills, Bob - item Brown, Paul - item 
Deslys, Jean-Philippe - 
 
Submitted to: Scientific Reports Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal 
Publication Acceptance Date: May 28, 2015 Publication Date: June 30, 2015 
Citation: Comoy, E.E., Mikol, J., Luccantoni-Freire, S., Correia, E., 
Lescoutra-Etchegaray, N., Durand, V., Dehen, C., Andreoletti, O., Casalone, C., 
Richt, J.A., Greenlee, J.J., Baron, T., Benestad, S., Brown, P., Deslys, J. 
2015. Transmission of scrapie prions to primate after an extended silent 
incubation period. Scientific Reports. 5:11573. 
 
Interpretive Summary: The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (also 
called prion diseases) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect animals 
and humans. The agent of prion diseases is a misfolded form of the prion protein 
that is resistant to breakdown by the host cells. Since all mammals express 
prion protein on the surface of various cells such as neurons, all mammals are, 
in theory, capable of replicating prion diseases. One example of a prion 
disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE; also called mad cow disease), 
has been shown to infect cattle, sheep, exotic undulates, cats, non-human 
primates, and humans when the new host is exposed to feeds or foods contaminated 
with the disease agent. The purpose of this study was to test whether non-human 
primates (cynomologous macaque) are susceptible to the agent of sheep scrapie. 
 
***After an incubation period of approximately 10 years a macaque developed 
progressive clinical signs suggestive of neurologic disease. 
 
***Upon postmortem examination and microscopic examination of tissues, 
there was a widespread distribution of lesions consistent with a transmissible 
spongiform encephalopathy. 
 
***This information will have a scientific impact since it is the first 
study that demonstrates the transmission of scrapie to a non-human primate with 
a close genetic relationship to humans. 
 
***This information is especially useful to regulatory officials and those 
involved with risk assessment of the potential transmission of animal prion 
diseases to humans. 
 
Technical Abstract: 
 
Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (c-BSE) is an animal prion 
disease that also causes variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Over the 
past decades, c-BSE's zoonotic potential has been the driving force in 
establishing extensive protective measures for animal and human health. 
 
***In complement to the recent demonstration that humanized mice are 
susceptible to scrapie, we report here the first observation of direct 
transmission of a natural classical scrapie isolate to a macaque after a 10-year 
incubation period. 
 
***Neuropathologic examination revealed all of the features of a prion 
disease: spongiform change, neuronal loss, and accumulation of PrPres throughout 
the CNS. 
 
***This observation strengthens the questioning of the harmlessness of 
scrapie to humans, at a time when protective measures for human and animal 
health are being dismantled and reduced as c-BSE is considered controlled and 
being eradicated.
 
***Our results underscore the importance of precautionary and protective 
measures and the necessity for long-term experimental transmission studies to 
assess the zoonotic potential of other animal prion strains. 
 
 
SPONTANEOUS TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY TSE PRION AKA MAD COW 
TYPE DISEASE ???
 
*** We describe the transmission of spongiform encephalopathy in a 
non-human primate inoculated 10 years earlier with a strain of sheep c-scrapie. 
Because of this extended incubation period in a facility in which other prion 
diseases are under study, we are obliged to consider two alternative 
possibilities that might explain its occurrence. We first considered the 
possibility of a sporadic origin (like CJD in humans). Such an event is 
extremely improbable because the inoculated animal was 14 years old when the 
clinical signs appeared, i.e. about 40% through the expected natural lifetime of 
this species, compared to a peak age incidence of 60–65 years in human sporadic 
CJD, or about 80% through their expected lifetimes. 
 
***Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding colonies 
or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of animals over 
several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, and in nearly 
twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility.*** 
 
>>> Moreover, sporadic disease has never been observed in breeding 
colonies or primate research laboratories, most notably among hundreds of 
animals over several decades of study at the National Institutes of Health25, 
and in nearly twenty older animals continuously housed in our own facility. 
<<< 
 
 
Tuesday, December 16, 2014 
 
*** Evidence for zoonotic potential of ovine scrapie prions 
 
Hervé Cassard,1, n1 Juan-Maria Torres,2, n1 Caroline Lacroux,1, Jean-Yves 
Douet,1, Sylvie L. Benestad,3, Frédéric Lantier,4, Séverine Lugan,1, Isabelle 
Lantier,4, Pierrette Costes,1, Naima Aron,1, Fabienne Reine,5, Laetitia 
Herzog,5, Juan-Carlos Espinosa,2, Vincent Beringue5, & Olivier Andréoletti1, 
Affiliations Contributions Corresponding author Journal name: Nature 
Communications Volume: 5, Article number: 5821 DOI: doi:10.1038/ncomms6821 
Received 07 August 2014 Accepted 10 November 2014 Published 16 December 2014 
Article tools Citation Reprints Rights & permissions Article metrics 
 
Abstract 
 
Although Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is the cause of variant 
Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, the zoonotic potential of scrapie 
prions remains unknown. Mice genetically engineered to overexpress the human 
prion protein (tgHu) have emerged as highly relevant models for gauging the 
capacity of prions to transmit to humans. These models can propagate human 
prions without any apparent transmission barrier and have been used used to 
confirm the zoonotic ability of BSE. Here we show that a panel of sheep scrapie 
prions transmit to several tgHu mice models with an efficiency comparable to 
that of cattle BSE. ***The serial transmission of different scrapie isolates in 
these mice led to the propagation of prions that are phenotypically identical to 
those causing sporadic CJD (sCJD) in humans. ***These results demonstrate that 
scrapie prions have a zoonotic potential and raise new questions about the 
possible link between animal and human prions. 
 
Subject terms: Biological sciences• Medical research At a glance 
 
 
see more here ; 
 
 
***The serial transmission of different scrapie isolates in these mice led 
to the propagation of prions that are phenotypically identical to those causing 
sporadic CJD (sCJD) in humans.*** 
 
***These results demonstrate that scrapie prions have a zoonotic potential 
and raise new questions about the possible link between animal and human 
prions.*** 
 
why do we not want to do TSE transmission studies on chimpanzees $ 
 
5. A positive result from a chimpanzee challenged severly would likely 
create alarm in some circles even if the result could not be interpreted for 
man. I have a view that all these agents could be transmitted provided a large 
enough dose by appropriate routes was given and the animals kept long enough. 
Until the mechanisms of the species barrier are more clearly understood it might 
be best to retain that hypothesis. 
 
snip... 
 
R. BRADLEY 
 
 
1: J Infect Dis 1980 Aug;142(2):205-8 
 
Oral transmission of kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and scrapie to 
nonhuman primates. 
 
Gibbs CJ Jr, Amyx HL, Bacote A, Masters CL, Gajdusek DC. 
 
Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease of humans and scrapie disease of sheep 
and goats were transmitted to squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) that were 
exposed to the infectious agents only by their nonforced consumption of known 
infectious tissues. The asymptomatic incubation period in the one monkey exposed 
to the virus of kuru was 36 months; that in the two monkeys exposed to the virus 
of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was 23 and 27 months, respectively; and that in the 
two monkeys exposed to the virus of scrapie was 25 and 32 months, respectively. 
Careful physical examination of the buccal cavities of all of the monkeys failed 
to reveal signs or oral lesions. One additional monkey similarly exposed to kuru 
has remained asymptomatic during the 39 months that it has been under 
observation. 
 
snip... 
 
The successful transmission of kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and scrapie 
by natural feeding to squirrel monkeys that we have reported provides further 
grounds for concern that scrapie-infected meat may occasionally give rise in 
humans to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. 
 
PMID: 6997404 
 
 
Recently the question has again been brought up as to whether scrapie is 
transmissible to man. This has followed reports that the disease has been 
transmitted to primates. One particularly lurid speculation (Gajdusek 1977) 
conjectures that the agents of scrapie, kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and 
transmissible encephalopathy of mink are varieties of a single "virus". The U.S. 
Department of Agriculture concluded that it could "no longer justify or permit 
scrapie-blood line and scrapie-exposed sheep and goats to be processed for human 
or animal food at slaughter or rendering plants" (ARC 84/77)" The problem is 
emphasised by the finding that some strains of scrapie produce lesions identical 
to the once which characterise the human dementias" 
 
Whether true or not. the hypothesis that these agents might be 
transmissible to man raises two considerations. First, the safety of laboratory 
personnel requires prompt attention. Second, action such as the "scorched meat" 
policy of USDA makes the solution of the acrapie problem urgent if the sheep 
industry is not to suffer grievously. 
 
snip... 
 
76/10.12/4.6 
 
 
O.05: Transmission of prions to primates after extended silent incubation 
periods: Implications for BSE and scrapie risk assessment in human populations 
 
Emmanuel Comoy, Jacqueline Mikol, Valerie Durand, Sophie Luccantoni, 
Evelyne Correia, Nathalie Lescoutra, Capucine Dehen, and Jean-Philippe Deslys 
Atomic Energy Commission; Fontenay-aux-Roses, France 
 
Prion diseases (PD) are the unique neurodegenerative proteinopathies 
reputed to be transmissible under field conditions since decades. The 
transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to humans evidenced that 
an animal PD might be zoonotic under appropriate conditions. Contrarily, in the 
absence of obvious (epidemiological or experimental) elements supporting a 
transmission or genetic predispositions, PD, like the other proteinopathies, are 
reputed to occur spontaneously (atpical animal prion strains, sporadic CJD 
summing 80% of human prion cases). Non-human primate models provided the first 
evidences supporting the transmissibiity of human prion strains and the zoonotic 
potential of BSE. Among them, cynomolgus macaques brought major information for 
BSE risk assessment for human health (Chen, 2014), according to their 
phylogenetic proximity to humans and extended lifetime. We used this model to 
assess the zoonotic potential of other animal PD from bovine, ovine and cervid 
origins even after very long silent incubation periods. 
 
*** We recently observed the direct transmission of a natural classical 
scrapie isolate to macaque after a 10-year silent incubation period, 
 
***with features similar to some reported for human cases of sporadic CJD, 
albeit requiring fourfold long incubation than BSE. Scrapie, as recently evoked 
in humanized mice (Cassard, 2014), 
 
***is the third potentially zoonotic PD (with BSE and L-type BSE), 
 
***thus questioning the origin of human sporadic cases. 
 
We will present an updated panorama of our different transmission studies 
and discuss the implications of such extended incubation periods on risk 
assessment of animal PD for human health. 
 
=============== 
 
***thus questioning the origin of human sporadic cases*** 
 
=============== 
 
 
***Our study demonstrates susceptibility of adult cattle to oral 
transmission of classical BSE. *** 
 
***our findings suggest that possible transmission risk of H-type BSE to 
sheep and human. *** 
 
P.86: Estimating the risk of transmission of BSE and scrapie to ruminants 
and humans by protein misfolding cyclic amplification
 
Morikazu Imamura, Naoko Tabeta, Yoshifumi Iwamaru, and Yuichi Murayama 
National Institute of Animal Health; Tsukuba, Japan
 
To assess the risk of the transmission of ruminant prions to ruminants and 
humans at the molecular level, we investigated the ability of abnormal prion 
protein (PrPSc) of typical and atypical BSEs (L-type and H-type) and typical 
scrapie to convert normal prion protein (PrPC) from bovine, ovine, and human to 
proteinase K-resistant PrPSc-like form (PrPres) using serial protein misfolding 
cyclic amplification (PMCA).
 
Six rounds of serial PMCA was performed using 10% brain homogenates from 
transgenic mice expressing bovine, ovine or human PrPC in combination with PrPSc 
seed from typical and atypical BSE- or typical scrapie-infected brain 
homogenates from native host species. In the conventional PMCA, the conversion 
of PrPC to PrPres was observed only when the species of PrPC source and PrPSc 
seed matched. However, in the PMCA with supplements (digitonin, synthetic polyA 
and heparin), both bovine and ovine PrPC were converted by PrPSc from all tested 
prion strains. On the other hand, human PrPC was converted by PrPSc from typical 
and H-type BSE in this PMCA condition.
 
Although these results were not compatible with the previous reports 
describing the lack of transmissibility of H-type BSE to ovine and human 
transgenic mice, 
 
***our findings suggest that possible transmission risk of H-type BSE to 
sheep and human. 
 
Bioassay will be required to determine whether the PMCA products are 
infectious to these animals.
 
================
 
 
 
========================================== 
 
PRION 2015 CONFERENCE FT. COLLINS CWD RISK FACTORS TO HUMANS 
 
*** LATE-BREAKING ABSTRACTS PRION 2015 CONFERENCE *** 
 
O18 
 
Zoonotic Potential of CWD Prions 
 
Liuting Qing1, Ignazio Cali1,2, Jue Yuan1, Shenghai Huang3, Diane Kofskey1, 
Pierluigi Gambetti1, Wenquan Zou1, Qingzhong Kong1 1Case Western Reserve 
University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 2Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy, 
3Encore Health Resources, Houston, Texas, USA 
 
*** These results indicate that the CWD prion has the potential to infect 
human CNS and peripheral lymphoid tissues and that there might be asymptomatic 
human carriers of CWD infection. 
 
================== 
 
***These results indicate that the CWD prion has the potential to infect 
human CNS and peripheral lymphoid tissues and that there might be asymptomatic 
human carriers of CWD infection.*** 
 
================== 
 
P.105: RT-QuIC models trans-species prion transmission 
 
Kristen Davenport, Davin Henderson, Candace Mathiason, and Edward Hoover 
Prion Research Center; Colorado State University; Fort Collins, CO USA 
 
Conversely, FSE maintained sufficient BSE characteristics to more 
efficiently convert bovine rPrP than feline rPrP. Additionally, human rPrP was 
competent for conversion by CWD and fCWD. 
 
***This insinuates that, at the level of protein:protein interactions, the 
barrier preventing transmission of CWD to humans is less robust than previously 
estimated. 
 
================ 
 
***This insinuates that, at the level of protein:protein interactions, the 
barrier preventing transmission of CWD to humans is less robust than previously 
estimated.*** 
 
================ 
 
 
*** PRICE OF CWD TSE PRION POKER GOES UP 2014 *** 
 
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE PRION update January 2, 2014 
 
*** chronic wasting disease, there was no absolute barrier to conversion of 
the human prion protein. 
 
*** Furthermore, the form of human PrPres produced in this in vitro assay 
when seeded with CWD, resembles that found in the most common human prion 
disease, namely sCJD of the MM1 subtype. 
 
 
 
*** These results would seem to suggest that CWD does indeed have zoonotic 
potential, at least as judged by the compatibility of CWD prions and their human 
PrPC target. Furthermore, extrapolation from this simple in vitro assay suggests 
that if zoonotic CWD occurred, it would most likely effect those of the PRNP 
codon 129-MM genotype and that the PrPres type would be similar to that found in 
the most common subtype of sCJD (MM1).*** 
 
 
*** The potential impact of prion diseases on human health was greatly 
magnified by the recognition that interspecies transfer of BSE to humans by beef 
ingestion resulted in vCJD. While changes in animal feed constituents and 
slaughter practices appear to have curtailed vCJD, there is concern that CWD of 
free-ranging deer and elk in the U.S. might also cross the species barrier. 
Thus, consuming venison could be a source of human prion disease. Whether BSE 
and CWD represent interspecies scrapie transfer or are newly arisen prion 
diseases is unknown. Therefore, the possibility of transmission of prion disease 
through other food animals cannot be ruled out. There is evidence that vCJD can 
be transmitted through blood transfusion. There is likely a pool of unknown size 
of asymptomatic individuals infected with vCJD, and there may be asymptomatic 
individuals infected with the CWD equivalent. These circumstances represent a 
potential threat to blood, blood products, and plasma supplies. 
 
 
Research Project: TRANSMISSION, DIFFERENTIATION, AND PATHOBIOLOGY OF 
TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES 
 
Title: Scrapie transmits to white-tailed deer by the oral route and has a 
molecular profile similar to chronic wasting disease 
 
Authors 
 
item Greenlee, Justin item Moore, S - item Smith, Jodi - item Kunkle, 
Robert item West Greenlee, M - 
 
Submitted to: American College of Veterinary Pathologists Meeting 
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: August 12, 2015 
Publication Date: N/A Technical Abstract: The purpose of this work was to 
determine susceptibility of white-tailed deer (WTD) to the agent of sheep 
scrapie and to compare the resultant PrPSc to that of the original inoculum and 
chronic wasting disease (CWD). We inoculated WTD by a natural route of exposure 
(concurrent oral and intranasal (IN); n=5) with a US scrapie isolate. All 
scrapie-inoculated deer had evidence of PrPSc accumulation. PrPSc was detected 
in lymphoid tissues at preclinical time points, and deer necropsied after 28 
months post-inoculation had clinical signs, spongiform encephalopathy, and 
widespread distribution of PrPSc in neural and lymphoid tissues. Western 
blotting (WB) revealed PrPSc with 2 distinct molecular profiles. WB on cerebral 
cortex had a profile similar to the original scrapie inoculum, whereas WB of 
brainstem, cerebellum, or lymph nodes revealed PrPSc with a higher profile 
resembling CWD. Homogenates with the 2 distinct profiles from WTD with clinical 
scrapie were further passaged to mice expressing cervid prion protein and 
intranasally to sheep and WTD. In cervidized mice, the two inocula have distinct 
incubation times. Sheep inoculated intranasally with WTD derived scrapie 
developed disease, but only after inoculation with the inoculum that had a 
scrapie-like profile. The WTD study is ongoing, but deer in both inoculation 
groups are positive for PrPSc by rectal mucosal biopsy. In summary, this work 
demonstrates that WTD are susceptible to the agent of scrapie, two distinct 
molecular profiles of PrPSc are present in the tissues of affected deer, and 
inoculum of either profile readily passes to deer. 
 
 
 
White-tailed Deer are Susceptible to Scrapie by Natural Route of Infection 
 
Jodi D. Smith, Justin J. Greenlee, and Robert A. Kunkle; Virus and Prion 
Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS 
 
Interspecies transmission studies afford the opportunity to better 
understand the potential host range and origins of prion diseases. Previous 
experiments demonstrated that white-tailed deer are susceptible to sheep-derived 
scrapie by intracranial inoculation. The purpose of this study was to determine 
susceptibility of white-tailed deer to scrapie after a natural route of 
exposure. Deer (n=5) were inoculated by concurrent oral (30 ml) and intranasal 
(1 ml) instillation of a 10% (wt/vol) brain homogenate derived from a sheep 
clinically affected with scrapie. Non-inoculated deer were maintained as 
negative controls. All deer were observed daily for clinical signs. Deer were 
euthanized and necropsied when neurologic disease was evident, and tissues were 
examined for abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and 
western blot (WB). One animal was euthanized 15 months post-inoculation (MPI) 
due to an injury. At that time, examination of obex and lymphoid tissues by IHC 
was positive, but WB of obex and colliculus were negative. Remaining deer 
developed clinical signs of wasting and mental depression and were necropsied 
from 28 to 33 MPI. Tissues from these deer were positive for scrapie by IHC and 
WB. Tissues with PrPSc immunoreactivity included brain, tonsil, retropharyngeal 
and mesenteric lymph nodes, hemal node, Peyer’s patches, and spleen. This work 
demonstrates for the first time that white-tailed deer are susceptible to sheep 
scrapie by potential natural routes of inoculation. In-depth analysis of tissues 
will be done to determine similarities between scrapie in deer after 
intracranial and oral/intranasal inoculation and chronic wasting disease 
resulting from similar routes of inoculation. 
 
see full text ; 
 
 
PO-039: A comparison of scrapie and chronic wasting disease in white-tailed 
deer 
 
Justin Greenlee, Jodi Smith, Eric Nicholson US Dept. Agriculture; 
Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center; Ames, IA USA 
 
 
White-tailed deer are susceptible to the agent of sheep scrapie by 
intracerebral inoculation 
 
snip...
 
It is unlikely that CWD will be eradicated from free-ranging cervids, and 
the disease is likely to continue to spread geographically [10]. However, the 
potential that white-tailed deer may be susceptible to sheep scrapie by a 
natural route presents an additional confounding factor to halting the spread of 
CWD. This leads to the additional speculations that 
 
1) infected deer could serve as a reservoir to infect sheep with scrapie 
offering challenges to scrapie eradication efforts and 
 
2) CWD spread need not remain geographically confined to current endemic 
areas, but could occur anywhere that sheep with scrapie and susceptible cervids 
cohabitate.
 
This work demonstrates for the first time that white-tailed deer are 
susceptible to sheep scrapie by intracerebral inoculation with a high attack 
rate and that the disease that results has similarities to CWD. These 
experiments will be repeated with a more natural route of inoculation to 
determine the likelihood of the potential transmission of sheep scrapie to 
white-tailed deer. If scrapie were to occur in white-tailed deer, results of 
this study indicate that it would be detected as a TSE, but may be difficult to 
differentiate from CWD without in-depth biochemical analysis. 
 
 
 
2012 
 
PO-039: A comparison of scrapie and chronic wasting disease in white-tailed 
deer 
 
Justin Greenlee, Jodi Smith, Eric Nicholson US Dept. Agriculture; 
Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center; Ames, IA USA 
 
snip...
 
The results of this study suggest that there are many similarities in the 
manifestation of CWD and scrapie in WTD after IC inoculation including early and 
widespread presence of PrPSc in lymphoid tissues, clinical signs of depression 
and weight loss progressing to wasting, and an incubation time of 21-23 months. 
Moreover, western blots (WB) done on brain material from the obex region have a 
molecular profile similar to CWD and distinct from tissues of the cerebrum or 
the scrapie inoculum. However, results of microscopic and IHC examination 
indicate that there are differences between the lesions expected in CWD and 
those that occur in deer with scrapie: amyloid plaques were not noted in any 
sections of brain examined from these deer and the pattern of immunoreactivity 
by IHC was diffuse rather than plaque-like. 
 
*** After a natural route of exposure, 100% of WTD were susceptible to 
scrapie. 
 
Deer developed clinical signs of wasting and mental depression and were 
necropsied from 28 to 33 months PI. Tissues from these deer were positive for 
PrPSc by IHC and WB. Similar to IC inoculated deer, samples from these deer 
exhibited two different molecular profiles: samples from obex resembled CWD 
whereas those from cerebrum were similar to the original scrapie inoculum. On 
further examination by WB using a panel of antibodies, the tissues from deer 
with scrapie exhibit properties differing from tissues either from sheep with 
scrapie or WTD with CWD. Samples from WTD with CWD or sheep with scrapie are 
strongly immunoreactive when probed with mAb P4, however, samples from WTD with 
scrapie are only weakly immunoreactive. In contrast, when probed with mAb’s 6H4 
or SAF 84, samples from sheep with scrapie and WTD with CWD are weakly 
immunoreactive and samples from WTD with scrapie are strongly positive. This 
work demonstrates that WTD are highly susceptible to sheep scrapie, but on first 
passage, scrapie in WTD is differentiable from CWD. 
 
 
2011 
 
*** After a natural route of exposure, 100% of white-tailed deer were 
susceptible to scrapie. 
 
 
White-tailed Deer are Susceptible to Scrapie by Natural Route of Infection 
 
Jodi D. Smith, Justin J. Greenlee, and Robert A. Kunkle; Virus and Prion 
Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS 
 
Interspecies transmission studies afford the opportunity to better 
understand the potential host range and origins of prion diseases. Previous 
experiments demonstrated that white-tailed deer are susceptible to sheep-derived 
scrapie by intracranial inoculation. The purpose of this study was to determine 
susceptibility of white-tailed deer to scrapie after a natural route of 
exposure. Deer (n=5) were inoculated by concurrent oral (30 ml) and intranasal 
(1 ml) instillation of a 10% (wt/vol) brain homogenate derived from a sheep 
clinically affected with scrapie. Non-inoculated deer were maintained as 
negative controls. All deer were observed daily for clinical signs. Deer were 
euthanized and necropsied when neurologic disease was evident, and tissues were 
examined for abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and 
western blot (WB). One animal was euthanized 15 months post-inoculation (MPI) 
due to an injury. At that time, examination of obex and lymphoid tissues by IHC 
was positive, but WB of obex and colliculus were negative. Remaining deer 
developed clinical signs of wasting and mental depression and were necropsied 
from 28 to 33 MPI. Tissues from these deer were positive for scrapie by IHC and 
WB. Tissues with PrPSc immunoreactivity included brain, tonsil, retropharyngeal 
and mesenteric lymph nodes, hemal node, Peyer’s patches, and spleen. This work 
demonstrates for the first time that white-tailed deer are susceptible to sheep 
scrapie by potential natural routes of inoculation. In-depth analysis of tissues 
will be done to determine similarities between scrapie in deer after 
intracranial and oral/intranasal inoculation and chronic wasting disease 
resulting from similar routes of inoculation. 
 
see full text ; 
 
 
Monday, January 4, 2016 
 
Long live the OIE, or time to close the doors on a failed entity? 
 
 
Saturday, February 6, 2016 
 
*** Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health; Meeting [Docket No. 
APHIS-2016-0007] Singeltary Submission ***
 
 
Sunday, March 20, 2016 
 
Docket No. FDA-2003-D-0432 (formerly 03D-0186) Use of Material from Deer 
and Elk in Animal Feed Singeltary Submission 
 
 
USDA FSIS APHIS FDA CDC NIH MAD COW TRIPLE FIREWALL ??? 
 
Terry S. Singeltary Sr. Bacliff, Texas USA 77518 flounder9@verizon.net