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Transmission of chronic wasting disease of mule deer to Suffolk sheep following intracerebral inoculation

Correspondence: ¹Corresponding Author: A.N. Hamir, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, 2300 Dayton Ave, PO Box 70, Ames, IA 50010 (e-mail: ahamir{at}nadc.ars.usda.gov).

To determine the transmissibility of chronic wasting disease (CWD) to sheep, 8 Suffolk lambs of various prion protein genotypes (4 ARQ/ARR, 3 ARQ/ARQ, 1 ARQ/VRQ at codons 136, 154, and 171, respectively) were inoculated intracerebrally with brain suspension from mule deer with CWD (CWD^md). Two other lambs were kept as noninoculated controls. Within 36 months postinoculation (MPI), 2 inoculated animals became sick and were euthanized. Only 1 sheep (euthanized at 35 MPI) showed clinical signs that were consistent with those described for scrapie. Microscopic lesions of spongiform encephalopathy (SE) were only seen in this sheep, and its tissues were determined to be positive for the abnormal prion protein (PrP^res) by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Three other inoculated sheep were euthanized (36 to 60 MPI) because of conditions unrelated to TSE. The 3 remaining inoculated sheep and the 2 control sheep did not have clinical signs of disease at the termination of the study (72 MPI) and were euthanized. Of the 3 remaining inoculated sheep, 1 was found to have SE, and its tissues were positive for PrP^res. The sheep with clinical prion disease (euthanized at 35 MPI) was of the heterozygous genotype (ARQ/VRQ), and the sheep with subclinical disease (euthanized at 72 MPH) was of the homozygous ARQ/ARQ genotype. These findings demonstrate that transmission of the CWD^md agent to sheep via the intracerebral route is possible. Interestingly, the host genotype may play a notable part in successful transmission and incubation period of CWD^md.

Key Words: Chronic wasting disease • immunohistochemistry • intracerebral transmission • prion protein • sheep • spongiform encephalopathy

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