Dietary Risk Factors for Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Confirmatory Case-Control Study
Dietary Risk Factors for Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Confirmatory
Case-Control Study
Zoreh Davanipour1,6,*, Eugene Sobel2,3,6, Argyrios Ziogas3,7, Carey
Smoak1,8, Thomas Bohr1,9, Keith Doram4,10, and Boleslaw Liwnicz5,# 1Department
of Neurology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
2Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 3Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School
of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 4Department
of Internal Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA,
USA 5Department of Pathology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma
Linda, CA, USA
Abstract
Aims—This study’s primary purpose was to determine whether earlier findings
suggesting an association between sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), a
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of humans and specific dietary
components could be replicated. The a priori hypotheses were that consumption of
(i) foods likely to contain organ tissue and (ii) raw/rare meat are associated
with increased sCJD risk.
Keywords
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; dietary risk factors; confirmatory
case-control study; prion diseases; neuroepidemiology
Study Design—Population-based case-control study.
© 2014 Davanipour et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
*Corresponding author: zdavani@earthlink.net.
6Current affiliation: Friends Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
7Current affiliation: University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA. 8Current
affiliation: Roche Molecular System, Pleasanton, CA, USA. 9Current affiliation:
Jerry L Pettis VA Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, USA. 10Current affiliation:
Adventist Health, Roseville, CA, USA. #Dr. Liwnicz significantly contributed to
this research. Dr. Liwnicz passed away in 2003.
Authors’ contributions
Author ZD conceived and designed the study. Author ZD was the PI of the
study (R01 NS26732, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke, National Institutes of Health) and oversaw the conduct of the study,
including the data collection and analysis. Author ES was the study
statistician. Author CS coordinated the study and data collection. Author AZ did
the statistical programming for the data analyses. Author TB was the study
neurologist and BL was the study neuropathologist. Together they determined the
final diagnoses. Author KD was the study geriatrician-internist and together
with Authors TB and BL provided diagnostic and medical expertise for the
study.
ETHICAL APPROVAL AND CONSENT
This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Loma
Linda University School of Medicine. The study participant subjects have signed
the IRB approved informed consent form.
COMPETING INTERESTS
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
NIH Public Access
Author Manuscript
Br J Med Med Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2014 June 25.
Published in final edited form as:
Br J Med Med Res. 2014 April 21; 4(12): 2388–2417.
doi:10.9734/BJMMR/2014/7209. NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript
NIH-PA Author Manuscript
Place and Duration of Study—Department of Neurology, School of Medicine,
Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA; 4 years.
Methodology—An 11-state case-control study of pathologically confirmed,
definite sCJD cases, matched controls, and a sample of control-surrogates was
conducted. Ninety-six percent (106/110) of the case data was obtained in
1991-1993, prior to variant CJD publicity.
Results—Using control self-responses, consumption of hot dogs, sausage,
pepperoni, kielbasa, “other” canned meat, poultry liver, any stomach/intestine,
beef stomach/intestine, any organ tissue, and beef organ tissue was individually
associated with increased sCJD risk; odds ratios (OR) ranged from 2.4 to 7.2
(0.003
*** Conclusions—The a priori hypotheses were supported. Consumption of
various meat products may be one method of transmission of the infectious agent
for sCJD.
1. INTRODUCTION
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a fatal transmissible
spongiform encephalopathy (TSE, prion disease) of humans. In 1979, Hadlow et al.
[1] reported that the infectious agent (prion proteins or PrPSc; Sc stands for
scrapie, a prion disease in sheep and goats) was found in non-neural tissue,
e.g., stomach, intestine, and the lymphatic system, even prior to clinical
symptoms. More recently, Bosque et al. [2] found PrPSc in the skeletal muscle of
mice inoculated with murine PrPSc. Furthermore, they showed that substantial
titers can be propagated within the skeletal muscle. Bosque et al. called for a
concerted effort to determine the distribution and concentration of prions in
animals (e.g., cows, sheep, deer) in the human food chain. Andréoletti et al.
[3] investigated the prion distribution and titers in sheep which were either
naturally or experimentally infected with scrapie. They found accumulation of
PrPSc in muscles, with the titer being up to 5,000 times lower than in brain.
However, as noted by Andréoletti et al. [3], van Keulen et al. [4] found much
higher titers of PrPSc in lymph nodes located within muscles of scrapie-infected
sheep. We note that the quantity of animal muscle consumed by humans is probably
well over 5,000 times higher than the quantity of brain consumed.
In 1985, we reported on dietary risk factors associated with sCJD in a
case-control study of 26 sCJD patients and 40 hospital and family controls from
5 states in the USA [5]. Combining the dietary findings with the findings of our
report [6] of weak links in the human food chain (e.g., sheep raisers’ lack of
awareness of scrapie in epidemic areas, the preclinical presence of the
infectious agent(s) in non-neural organs of infected animals and the use of
organs in certain meat products), we suggested that sCJD might be acquired
through ingestion of contaminated food products, particularly processed foods
which are likely to contain organ tissue. Four other epidemiologic studies of
sCJD with dietary information were published prior to 1990 [7-10]. Two other
studies were published in 1998 [11] and 2009 [12]. The findings of these studies
are considered in the Discussion section.
snip...
1.1 Possibly Porous Species Barrier
The hypothesized species barrier may be more porous than previously
thought. The question of dietary transmission of sCJD to humans is contentious
[e.g., 11,26]. However, laboratory evidence provides credence to the possibility
of such transmission, albeit somewhat inefficiently, e.g., (1) an in vitro study
has identified a specific biological process by which human PrPSc may be
chaperoned in vivo across the human intestinal epithelial cell barrier [39]; (2)
it is now well-established that animals which do not manifest clinical signs of
disease or only temporarily manifest such signs can harbor sufficiently high
titers of infectious prions for disease to be transmitted at least through
inoculation [40,41]; (3) prions can gain infectivity ability through passage
from one animal to another [42] and (4) a second strain of prions in cattle has
been identified which has molecular similarities with a specific subtype of sCJD
[43]. It is also important to note that different prion strains, while derived
from the same species-specific prion proteins, have different conformations
which play an important role in the degree of infectivity, varying clinical
signs and symptoms, and progression. Current evidence indicates that there are
several different human PrPSc conformations [44]. These recent findings are
discussed immediately below.
Crossing the Intestinal Epithelial Cell Barrier—Using an in vitro model of
the human intestinal epithelial cell barrier, Mishra et al. [39] found that
PrPSc is chaperoned by ferritin across the barrier. They concluded that, due to
ferritin’s considerable homology across species, their study indicates that
“PrPSc-associated proteins, in particular ferritin, may facilitate PrPSc uptake
in the intestine from distant species, leading to a carrier state in humans” or
animals in the human food chain.
Subclinical Disease with Infectivity—Thackray et al. [40] studied two
mouse-adapted scrapie strains (ME7 and RML) which were intracerebrally injected
in a specific transgenic mouse model (Tga20) and two species of wild-type mice.
Low doses of the inoculum caused the oscillation of appearance and then
disappearance of clinical signs, sometimes for many months but did not induce
terminal disease. The authors refer to this status as subclinical disease. PrPSc
was identified in the brains of these mice at similar concentrations as found in
mice with terminal disease. All titers were higher than contained in the
original inoculate. Brain homogenates from these mice contained as much or
nearly as much infectivity as brain homogenates from mice with terminal disease.
This was determined by passage in Tga20 mice. When inoculated with brain
homogenates from non-infected wild-type mice, none of the Tga20 mice developed
disease. Thus, the brains of mice with subclinical disease contained sufficient
quantities of PrPSc to induce terminal disease.
Hill et al. [41] studied a different strain of hamster prions considered
nonpathologic to mice. When inoculated, the mice developed high titers of PrPSc
in their brains, but were without clinical symptoms and had a normal lifespan.
Upon transmission to a second generation of mice or to hamsters, all animals
eventually developed clinical prion disease. Hill et al. suggested that there
might be evolution of the PrPSc strain and that their data “seriously question
our current understanding of species barriers”. We note that other researchers
have also identified subclinical disease along with infectivity [45-47].
Gain in Infectivity with Transmission—Work by Race et al. [42] also
suggests that apparently dormant PrPSc can evolve into a virulent form. They
studied mice inoculated with a specific strain of hamster PrPSc. They found
that, despite not developing clinical disease, the brains and spleens of these
mice remained infectious for the lifetimes of the mice. Furthermore, there was
no evidence that the hamster PrPSc replicated within the brains for a period of
at least one year. After this period of persistence, replication occurred and
new strains were identified which caused disease in mice. Thus, new strains of
PrPSc might develop in transmission between sheep (scrapie), deer or elk
(chronic wasting disease) and cows (BSE). Some of these strains might be more
easily transmitted and virulent to susceptible humans through diet.
Second TSE Strain in Cattle and sCJD—Casalone et al. [43] have recently
identified a second TSE of cattle, with a molecular signature similar to a
particular strain of sCJD (M/V2 CJD): type-2 PrPSc with a methionine/valine
(M/V) polymorphism at codon 129 of the human prion protein gene. To date, this
strain has been identified in two cattle. Casalone et al. have named the disease
associated with this new prion strain bovine amyloidotic spongiform
encephalopathy (BASE). The authors point out that there are differences in the
distribution of PrPSc in BASE and M/V2 CJD. In M/V2 CJD, the largest amount of
PrPSc is found in the cerebellum, brainstem and striatum, while in BASE the
predominant areas are the thalamus and olfactory regions. Casalone et al.
suggest that lack of substantial involvement of the motor dorsal nucleus of the
vagus (MDNV) and the brainstem in BASE indicates that the route of transmission
of BASE is perhaps not the alimentary tract. On the other hand, the brainstem is
involved in sCJD. Unfortunately, no information concerning MDNV involvement in
human sCJD appears to be available. We note that, given Casalone et al.’s
suggestion [43], involvement of the brainstem would indicate that transmission
could be through the alimentary tract.
Colitis and Increased Susceptibility of Mice to Oral Prion Infection—A
recent study by Sigurdson et al. [48] has convincingly shown that C57BL/6 mice,
after developing moderate colitis due to exposure of an attenuated strain of
Salmonella, had more than double the usual susceptibility to oral prion
infection and experienced a somewhat accelerated disease development. The
authors conclude that “moderate intestinal inflammation at the time of prion may
constitute one of the elusive risk factors underlying the development of
TSE”.
In a review article, Collins et al. [49] concluded convincing evidence that
high titers of infectious PrPSc can be present in asymptomatic animals. Their
conclusion was that these findings “challenge previous ideas of species
barrier”.
snip...
5. CONCLUSIONS
In general, there is a contrast between the occurrence of CJD cases and the
large number of individuals consuming these food items. It should be noted that
TSE is a rare disease in animals. In addition to a low TSE exposure rate, TSE
infectivity and viability are likely low. Moreover, human susceptibility to TSE
may be related to rare genetic make-up. Consequently, it should not be
surprising that sCJD is, fortunately, rare. Ecological and other issues are
discussed in reference [69].
Over all, we found evidence that consumption of certain beef products may
be associated with increased risk of sCJD and that consumption of certain items
of pork and poultry were associated with an increased risk. In addition, many of
the food items likely to contain brain, e.g., various sausages, may contain meat
and organs from animals besides cows. This study should be interpreted as
providing evidence that sCJD is, at times, a zoonotic disease, with possible
transmission via dietary items. TSE occurs naturally in wide range of animal
hosts, e.g., sheep, goats, bovine, mink, white-tailed deer.
It has been established that cows in Great Britain and perhaps elsewhere
probably developed BSE by eating contaminated food products, e.g., sheep
products. It has also been established that cows which consumed contaminated cow
offal have developed BSE. Earlier, mink which ate contaminated feed, perhaps
bovine, in the US developed a spongiform encephalopathy (TME). The literature
has other examples of transmission of spongiform encephalopathy between species
through contaminated feed. One reason for increased transmission of this disease
by ingestion within and between species may be an unfortunate change in the
processing procedures of offal during rendering, making it more likely that the
infectiousness of the agent survives [26,70,71].
*** In summary, the findings in this study support the hypothesis that one
way for humans to develop sCJD is consumption of animal products containing the
infectious agent for TSE. Processed food items which may contain organ tissue
products may represent a risk. Some of these food items are not sufficiently
cooked.
Davanipour et al. Br J Med Med Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC
2014 June 25. NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author
Manuscript
Neuroepidemiology. 1985;4(4):240-9.
Sheep consumption: a possible source of spongiform encephalopathy in
humans.
Davanipour Z, Alter M, Sobel E, Callahan M.
Abstract
A fatal spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and goats (scrapie) shares many
characteristics with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a similar dementing
illness of humans. To investigate the possibility that CJD is acquired by
ingestion of contaminated sheep products, we collected information on
production, slaughtering practices, and marketing of sheep in Pennsylvania. The
study revealed that sheep were usually marketed before central nervous system
signs of scrapie are expected to appear; breeds known to be susceptible to the
disease were the most common breeds raised in the area; sheep were imported from
other states including those with a high frequency of scrapie; use of veterinary
services on the sheep farms investigated and, hence, opportunities to detect the
disease were limited; sheep producers in the area knew little about scrapie
despite the fact that the disease has been reported in the area, and animal
organs including sheep organs were sometimes included in processed food.
Therefore, it was concluded that in Pennsylvania there are some 'weak links'
through which scrapie-infected animals could contaminate human food, and that
consumption of these foods could perhaps account for spongiform encephalopathy
in humans. The weak links observed are probably not unique to Pennsylvania.
PMID: 3915057 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
EVIDENCE OF SCRAPIE IN SHEEP AS A RESULT OF FOOD BORNE EXPOSURE
This is provided by the statistically significant increase in the
incidence of sheep scrape from 1985, as determined from analyses of the
submissions made to VI Centres, and from individual case and flock incident
studies. ........
RISK OF BSE TO SHEEP VIA FEED
Marion Simmons communicated surprising evidence for oral transmissibility
of Nor98/atypical scrapie in neonatal sheep and although bioassay is ongoing,
infectivity of the distal ileum of 12 and 24 month infected sheep is positive in
Tg338 mice.
SUMMARY REPORTS OF MAFF BSE TRANSMISSION STUDIES AT THE CVL ;
THE RISK TO HUMANS FROM SHEEP;
EXPERIMENTAL TRANSMISSION OF BSE TO SHEEP
SHEEP AND BSE
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
SHEEP AND BSE
A. The experimental transmission of BSE to sheep.
Studies have shown that the ''negative'' line NPU flock of Cheviots can be
experimentally infected with BSE by intracerebral (ic) or oral challenge (the
latter being equivalent to 0.5 gram of a pool of four cow brains from animals
confirmed to have BSE).
RB264
BSE - TRANSMISSION STUDIES
BSE prions propagate as either variant CJD-like or sporadic CJD-like prion
strains in transgenic mice expressing human prion protein
*** Surprisingly, however, BSE transmission to these transgenic mice, in
addition to producing a vCJD-like phenotype, can also result in a distinct
molecular phenotype that is indistinguishable from that of sporadic CJD with
PrPSc type 2.
These data suggest that more than one BSEderived prion strain might infect
humans;
***it is therefore possible that some patients with a phenotype consistent
with sporadic CJD may have a disease arising from BSE exposure.
snip...
These studies further strengthen the evidence that vCJD is caused by a
BSE-like prion strain.
Also, remarkably, the key neuropathological hallmark of vCJD, the presence
of abundant florid PrP plaques, can be recapitulated on BSE or vCJD transmission
to these mice.
***However, the most surprising aspect of the studies was the finding that
an alternate pattern of disease can be induced in 129MM Tg35 mice from primary
transmission of BSE, with a molecular phenotype indistinguishable from that of a
subtype of sporadic CJD. This finding has important potential implications as it
raises the possibility that some humans infected with BSE prions may develop a
clinical disease indistinguishable from classical CJD associated with type 2
PrPSc. This is, in our experience, the commonest molecular sub-type of sporadic
CJD. In this regard, it is of interest that the reported incidence of sporadic
CJD has risen in the UK since the 1970s (Cousens et al., 1997)...
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: re-BSE prions propagate as either variant CJD-like or sporadic CJD
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 10:23:43 -0000
From: "Asante, Emmanuel A" e.asante@ic.ac.uk
To: "'flounder@wt.net'" flounder@wt.net
Dear Terry,
I have been asked by Professor Collinge to respond to your request. I am a
Senior Scientist in the MRC Prion Unit and the lead author on the paper. I have
attached a pdf copy of the paper for your attention.
Thank you for your interest in the paper.
In respect of your first question, the simple answer is, ***yes. As you
will find in the paper, we have managed to associate the alternate phenotype to
type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. It is too early to be able to claim
any further sub-classification in respect of Heidenhain variant CJD or Vicky
Rimmer's version. It will take further studies, which are on-going, to establish
if there are sub-types to our initial finding which we are now reporting. The
main point of the paper is that, as well as leading to the expected new variant
CJD phenotype, BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an
alternate phenotype which is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc.
I hope reading the paper will enlighten you more on the subject. If I can
be of any further assistance please to not hesitate to ask. Best wishes.
Emmanuel Asante
<>
____________________________________
Dr. Emmanuel A Asante MRC Prion Unit & Neurogenetics Dept. Imperial
College School of Medicine (St. Mary's) Norfolk Place, LONDON W2 1PG Tel: +44
(0)20 7594 3794 Fax: +44 (0)20 7706 3272 email: e.asante@ic.ac.uk (until
9/12/02) New e-mail: e.asante@prion.ucl.ac.uk (active from now)
____________________________________
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Seven main threats for the future linked to prions
First threat
The TSE road map defining the evolution of European policy for protection
against prion diseases is based on a certain numbers of hypotheses some of which
may turn out to be erroneous. In particular, a form of BSE (called atypical
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), recently identified by systematic testing in
aged cattle without clinical signs, may be the origin of classical BSE and thus
potentially constitute a reservoir, which may be impossible to eradicate if a
sporadic origin is confirmed.
***Also, a link is suspected between atypical BSE and some apparently
sporadic cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. These atypical BSE cases
constitute an unforeseen first threat that could sharply modify the European
approach to prion diseases.
Second threat
snip...
Monday, October 10, 2011
EFSA Journal 2011 The European Response to BSE: A Success Story
snip...
EFSA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
recently delivered a scientific opinion on any possible epidemiological or
molecular association between TSEs in animals and humans (EFSA Panel on
Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) and ECDC, 2011). This opinion confirmed Classical
BSE prions as the only TSE agents demonstrated to be zoonotic so far
*** but the possibility that a small proportion of human cases so far
classified as "sporadic" CJD are of zoonotic origin could not be excluded.
Moreover, transmission experiments to non-human primates suggest that some TSE
agents in addition to Classical BSE prions in cattle (namely L-type Atypical
BSE, Classical BSE in sheep, transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) and chronic
wasting disease (CWD) agents) might have zoonotic potential.
snip...
To date the OIE/WAHO assumes that the human and animal health standards set
out in the BSE chapter for classical BSE (C-Type) applies to all forms of BSE
which include the H-type and L-type atypical forms. This assumption is
scientifically not completely justified and accumulating evidence suggests that
this may in fact not be the case. Molecular characterization and the spatial
distribution pattern of histopathologic lesions and immunohistochemistry (IHC)
signals are used to identify and characterize atypical BSE. Both the L-type and
H-type atypical cases display significant differences in the conformation and
spatial accumulation of the disease associated prion protein (PrPSc) in brains
of afflicted cattle. Transmission studies in bovine transgenic and wild type
mouse models support that the atypical BSE types might be unique strains because
they have different incubation times and lesion profiles when compared to C-type
BSE. When L-type BSE was inoculated into ovine transgenic mice and Syrian
hamster the resulting molecular fingerprint had changed, either in the first or
a subsequent passage, from L-type into C-type BSE.
***In addition, non-human primates are specifically susceptible for
atypical BSE as demonstrated by an approximately 50% shortened incubation time
for L-type BSE as compared to C-type. Considering the current scientific
information available, it cannot be assumed that these different BSE types pose
the same human health risks as C-type BSE or that these risks are mitigated by
the same protective measures.
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
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6997404&dopt=Abstract
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
Nature. 1972 Mar 10;236(5341):73-4.
Transmission of scrapie to the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis).
Gibbs CJ Jr, Gajdusek DC.
Nature 236, 73 - 74 (10 March 1972); doi:10.1038/236073a0
Transmission of Scrapie to the Cynomolgus Monkey (Macaca fascicularis)
C. J. GIBBS jun. & D. C. GAJDUSEK
National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
SCRAPIE has been transmitted to the cynomolgus, or crab-eating, monkey
(Macaca fascicularis) with an incubation period of more than 5 yr from the time
of intracerebral inoculation of scrapie-infected mouse brain. The animal
developed a chronic central nervous system degeneration, with ataxia, tremor and
myoclonus with associated severe scrapie-like pathology of intensive astroglial
hypertrophy and proliferation, neuronal vacuolation and status spongiosus of
grey matter. The strain of scrapie virus used was the eighth passage in Swiss
mice (NIH) of a Compton strain of scrapie obtained as ninth intracerebral
passage of the agent in goat brain, from Dr R. L. Chandler (ARC, Compton,
Berkshire).
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
IN CONFIDENCE
SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION TO CHIMPANZEES
IN CONFIDENCE
Sunday, December 12, 2010
EFSA reviews BSE/TSE infectivity in small ruminant tissues News Story 2
December 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
SCRAPIE AND ATYPICAL SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION STUDIES A REVIEW 2010
Saturday, May 2, 2009
APHIS AND WHO PLAN TO EXEMPT THE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE NOR-98 FROM REGULATIONS
AT MEETING THIS MONTH
Monday, November 30, 2009
USDA AND OIE COLLABORATE TO EXCLUDE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE NOR-98 ANIMAL HEALTH
CODE
RESEARCH
Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 17, No. 5, May 2011
Experimental Oral Transmission of Atypical Scrapie to Sheep
Marion M. Simmons, S. Jo Moore,1 Timm Konold, Lisa Thurston, Linda A.
Terry, Leigh Thorne, Richard Lockey, Chris Vickery, Stephen A.C. Hawkins,
Melanie J. Chaplin, and John Spiropoulos
To investigate the possibility of oral transmission of atypical scrapie in
sheep and determine the distribution of infectivity in the animals’ peripheral
tissues, we challenged neonatal lambs orally with atypical scrapie; they were
then killed at 12 or 24 months. Screening test results were negative for
disease-specific prion protein in all but 2 recipients; they had positive
results for examination of brain, but negative for peripheral tissues.
Infectivity of brain, distal ileum, and spleen from all animals was assessed in
mouse bioassays; positive results were obtained from tissues that had negative
results on screening. These findings demonstrate that atypical scrapie can be
transmitted orally and indicate that it has the potential for natural
transmission and iatrogenic spread through animal feed. Detection of infectivity
in tissues negative by current surveillance methods indicates that diagnostic
sensitivity is suboptimal for atypical scrapie, and potentially infectious
material may be able to pass into the human food chain.
SNIP...
Although we do not have epidemiologic evidence that supports the effi cient
spread of disease in the fi eld, these data imply that disease is potentially
transmissible under fi eld situations and that spread through animal feed may be
possible if the current feed restrictions were to be relaxed. Additionally,
almost no data are available on the potential for atypical scrapie to transmit
to other food animal species, certainly by the oral route. However, work with
transgenic mice has demonstrated the potential susceptibility of pigs, with the
disturbing fi nding that the biochemical properties of the resulting PrPSc have
changed on transmission (40). The implications of this observation for
subsequent transmission and host target range are currently unknown.
How reassuring is this absence of detectable PrPSc from a public health
perspective? The bioassays performed in this study are not titrations, so the
infectious load of the positive gut tissues cannot be quantified, although
infectivity has been shown unequivocally. No experimental data are currently
available on the zoonotic potential of atypical scrapie, either through
experimental challenge of humanized mice or any meaningful epidemiologic
correlation with human forms of TSE. However, the detection of infectivity in
the distal ileum of animals as young as 12 months, in which all the tissues
tested were negative for PrPSc by the currently available screening and
confirmatory diagnostic tests, indicates that the diagnostic sensitivity of
current surveillance methods is suboptimal for detecting atypical scrapie and
that potentially infectious material may be able to pass into the human food
chain undetected.
Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 17, No. 5, May 2011
*** The discovery of previously unrecognized prion diseases in both humans
and animals (i.e., Nor98 in small ruminants) demonstrates that the range of
prion diseases might be wider than expected and raises crucial questions about
the epidemiology and strain properties of these new forms. We are investigating
this latter issue by molecular and biological comparison of VPSPr, GSS and
Nor98.
Increased Atypical Scrapie Detections
Press reports indicate that increased surveillance is catching what
otherwise would have been unreported findings of atypical scrapie in sheep. In
2009, five new cases have been reported in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and
Saskatchewan. With the exception of Quebec, all cases have been diagnosed as
being the atypical form found in older animals. Canada encourages producers to
join its voluntary surveillance program in order to gain scrapie-free status.
The World Animal Health will not classify Canada as scrapie-free until no new
cases are reported for seven years. The Canadian Sheep Federation is calling on
the government to fund a wider surveillance program in order to establish the
level of prevalence prior to setting an eradication date. Besides long-term
testing, industry is calling for a compensation program for farmers who report
unusual deaths in their flocks.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
*** atypical Nor-98 Scrapie has spread from coast to coast in the USA 2012
NIAA Annual Conference April 11-14, 2011San Antonio, Texas
Monday, April 25, 2011
Experimental Oral Transmission of Atypical Scrapie to Sheep
Volume 17, Number 5-May 2011 However, work with transgenic mice has
demonstrated the potential susceptibility of pigs, with the disturbing finding
that the biochemical properties of the resulting PrPSc have changed on
transmission (40).
Monday, December 14, 2009
Similarities between Forms of Sheep Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Are Encoded by Distinct Prion Types
(hmmm, this is getting interesting now...TSS)
Sporadic CJD type 1 and atypical/ Nor98 scrapie are characterized by fine
(reticular) deposits,
see also ;
All of the Heidenhain variants were of the methionine/ methionine type 1
molecular subtype.
see full text ;
Monday, December 14, 2009
Similarities between Forms of Sheep Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Are Encoded by Distinct Prion Types
***P.170: Potential detection of oral transmission of H type atypical BSE
in cattle using in vitro conversion
Sandor Dudas, John G Gray, Renee Clark, and Stefanie Czub Canadian Food
Inspection Agency; Lethbridge, AB Canada
Keywords: Atypical BSE, oral transmission, RT-QuIC
The detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has had a
significant negative impact on the cattle industry worldwide. In response,
governments took actions to prevent transmission and additional threats to
animal health and food safety. While these measures seem to be effective for
controlling classical BSE, the more recently discovered atypical BSE has
presented a new challenge. To generate data for risk assessment and control
measures, we have challenged cattle orally with atypical BSE to determine
transmissibility and mis-folded prion (PrPSc) tissue distribution. Upon
presentation of clinical symptoms, animals were euthanized and tested for
characteristic histopathological changes as well as PrPSc deposition.
The H-type challenged animal displayed vacuolation exclusively in rostral
brain areas but the L-type challenged animal showed no evidence thereof. To our
surprise, neither of the animals euthanized, which were displaying clinical
signs indicative of BSE, showed conclusive mis-folded prion accumulation in the
brain or gut using standard molecular or immunohistochemical assays. To confirm
presence or absence of prion infectivity, we employed an optimized real-time
quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay developed at the Rocky Mountain
Laboratory, Hamilton, USA.
Detection of PrPSc was unsuccessful for brain samples tests from the orally
inoculated L type animal using the RT-QuIC. It is possible that these negative
results were related to the tissue sampling locations or that type specific
optimization is needed to detect PrPSc in this animal. We were however able to
consistently detect the presence of mis-folded prions in the brain of the H-type
inoculated animal. Considering the negative and inconclusive results with other
PrPSc detection methods, positive results using the optimized RT-QuIC suggests
the method is extremely sensitive for H-type BSE detection. This may be evidence
of the first successful oral transmission of H type atypical BSE in cattle and
additional investigation of samples from these animals are ongoing.
Monday, June 23, 2014
PRION 2014 TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL BSE AND CJD REPORT UPDATES
Friday, March 09, 2012
Experimental H-type and L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle:
observation of two clinical syndromes and diagnostic challenges
Research article
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Experimental H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy characterized by
plaques and glial- and stellate-type prion protein deposits
P03.141
Aspects of the Cerebellar Neuropathology in Nor98
Gavier-Widén, D1; Benestad, SL2; Ottander, L1; Westergren, E1 1National
Veterinary Insitute, Sweden; 2National Veterinary Institute,
Norway Nor98 is a prion disease of old sheep and goats. This atypical form
of scrapie was first described in Norway in 1998. Several features of Nor98 were
shown to be different from classical scrapie including the distribution of
disease associated prion protein (PrPd) accumulation in the brain. The
cerebellum is generally the most affected brain area in Nor98. The study here
presented aimed at adding information on the neuropathology in the cerebellum of
Nor98 naturally affected sheep of various genotypes in Sweden and Norway. A
panel of histochemical and immunohistochemical (IHC) stainings such as IHC for
PrPd, synaptophysin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, amyloid, and cell markers
for phagocytic cells were conducted. The type of histological lesions and tissue
reactions were evaluated. The types of PrPd deposition were characterized. The
cerebellar cortex was regularly affected, even though there was a variation in
the severity of the lesions from case to case. Neuropil vacuolation was more
marked in the molecular layer, but affected also the granular cell layer. There
was a loss of granule cells. Punctate deposition of PrPd was characteristic. It
was morphologically and in distribution identical with that of synaptophysin,
suggesting that PrPd accumulates in the synaptic structures. PrPd was also
observed in the granule cell layer and in the white matter. The pathology
features of Nor98 in the cerebellum of the affected sheep showed similarities
with those of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.
***The pathology features of Nor98 in the cerebellum of the affected sheep
showed similarities with those of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in
humans.
PR-26
NOR98 SHOWS MOLECULAR FEATURES REMINISCENT OF GSS
R. Nonno1, E. Esposito1, G. Vaccari1, E. Bandino2, M. Conte1, B.
Chiappini1, S. Marcon1, M. Di Bari1, S.L. Benestad3, U. Agrimi1 1 Istituto
Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health,
Rome, Italy (romolo.nonno@iss.it); 2 Istituto Zooprofilattico della Sardegna,
Sassari, Italy; 3 National Veterinary Institute, Department of Pathology, Oslo,
Norway
Molecular variants of PrPSc are being increasingly investigated in sheep
scrapie and are generally referred to as "atypical" scrapie, as opposed to
"classical scrapie". Among the atypical group, Nor98 seems to be the best
identified. We studied the molecular properties of Italian and Norwegian Nor98
samples by WB analysis of brain homogenates, either untreated, digested with
different concentrations of proteinase K, or subjected to enzymatic
deglycosylation. The identity of PrP fragments was inferred by means of
antibodies spanning the full PrP sequence. We found that undigested brain
homogenates contain a Nor98-specific PrP fragment migrating at 11 kDa (PrP11),
truncated at both the C-terminus and the N-terminus, and not N-glycosylated.
After mild PK digestion, Nor98 displayed full-length PrP (FL-PrP) and
N-glycosylated C-terminal fragments (CTF), along with increased levels of PrP11.
Proteinase K digestion curves (0,006-6,4 mg/ml) showed that FL-PrP and CTF are
mainly digested above 0,01 mg/ml, while PrP11 is not entirely digested even at
the highest concentrations, similarly to PrP27-30 associated with classical
scrapie. Above 0,2 mg/ml PK, most Nor98 samples showed only PrP11 and a fragment
of 17 kDa with the same properties of PrP11, that was tentatively identified as
a dimer of PrP11. Detergent solubility studies showed that PrP11 is insoluble in
2% sodium laurylsorcosine and is mainly produced from detergentsoluble,
full-length PrPSc. Furthermore, among Italian scrapie isolates, we found that a
sample with molecular and pathological properties consistent with Nor98 showed
plaque-like deposits of PrPSc in the thalamus when the brain was analysed by
PrPSc immunohistochemistry. Taken together, our results show that the
distinctive pathological feature of Nor98 is a PrP fragment spanning amino acids
~ 90-155. This fragment is produced by successive N-terminal and C-terminal
cleavages from a full-length and largely detergent-soluble PrPSc, is produced in
vivo and is extremely resistant to PK digestion.
*** Intriguingly, these conclusions suggest that some pathological features
of Nor98 are reminiscent of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease.
119
A newly identified type of scrapie agent can naturally infect sheep with
resistant PrP genotypes
Annick Le Dur*,?, Vincent Béringue*,?, Olivier Andréoletti?, Fabienne
Reine*, Thanh Lan Laï*, Thierry Baron§, Bjørn Bratberg¶, Jean-Luc Vilotte?,
Pierre Sarradin**, Sylvie L. Benestad¶, and Hubert Laude*,?? +Author
Affiliations
*Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires and ?Génétique Biochimique et
Cytogénétique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78350
Jouy-en-Josas, France; ?Unité Mixte de Recherche, Institut National de la
Recherche Agronomique-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Interactions Hôte
Agent Pathogène, 31066 Toulouse, France; §Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire
des Aliments, Unité Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, 69364 Lyon,
France; **Pathologie Infectieuse et Immunologie, Institut National de la
Recherche Agronomique, 37380 Nouzilly, France; and ¶Department of Pathology,
National Veterinary Institute, 0033 Oslo, Norway
***Edited by Stanley B. Prusiner, University of California, San Francisco,
CA (received for review March 21, 2005)
Abstract Scrapie in small ruminants belongs to transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, a family of fatal neurodegenerative
disorders that affect humans and animals and can transmit within and between
species by ingestion or inoculation. Conversion of the host-encoded prion
protein (PrP), normal cellular PrP (PrPc), into a misfolded form, abnormal PrP
(PrPSc), plays a key role in TSE transmission and pathogenesis. The intensified
surveillance of scrapie in the European Union, together with the improvement of
PrPSc detection techniques, has led to the discovery of a growing number of
so-called atypical scrapie cases. These include clinical Nor98 cases first
identified in Norwegian sheep on the basis of unusual pathological and PrPSc
molecular features and "cases" that produced discordant responses in the rapid
tests currently applied to the large-scale random screening of slaughtered or
fallen animals. Worryingly, a substantial proportion of such cases involved
sheep with PrP genotypes known until now to confer natural resistance to
conventional scrapie. Here we report that both Nor98 and discordant cases,
including three sheep homozygous for the resistant PrPARR allele (A136R154R171),
efficiently transmitted the disease to transgenic mice expressing ovine PrP, and
that they shared unique biological and biochemical features upon propagation in
mice.
*** These observations support the view that a truly infectious TSE agent,
unrecognized until recently, infects sheep and goat flocks and may have
important implications in terms of scrapie control and public health.
Monday, December 1, 2008
When Atypical Scrapie cross species barriers
Authors
Andreoletti O., Herva M. H., Cassard H., Espinosa J. C., Lacroux C., Simon
S., Padilla D., Benestad S. L., Lantier F., Schelcher F., Grassi J., Torres, J.
M., UMR INRA ENVT 1225, Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Toulouse.France;
ICISA-INlA, Madrid, Spain; CEA, IBiTec-5, DSV, CEA/Saclay, Gif sur Yvette cedex,
France; National Veterinary Institute, Postboks 750 Sentrum, 0106 Oslo, Norway,
INRA IASP, Centre INRA de Tours, 3738O Nouzilly, France.
Content
Atypical scrapie is a TSE occurring in small ruminants and harbouring
peculiar clinical, epidemiological and biochemical properties. Currently this
form of disease is identified in a large number of countries. In this study we
report the transmission of an atypical scrapie isolate through different species
barriers as modeled by transgenic mice (Tg) expressing different species PRP
sequence.
The donor isolate was collected in 1995 in a French commercial sheep flock.
inoculation into AHQ/AHQ sheep induced a disease which had all
neuro-pathological and biochemical characteristics of atypical scrapie.
Transmitted into Transgenic mice expressing either ovine or PrPc, the isolate
retained all the described characteristics of atypical scrapie.
Surprisingly the TSE agent characteristics were dramatically different
v/hen passaged into Tg bovine mice. The recovered TSE agent had biological and
biochemical characteristics similar to those of atypical BSE L in the same mouse
model. Moreover, whereas no other TSE agent than BSE were shown to transmit into
Tg porcine mice, atypical scrapie was able to develop into this model, albeit
with low attack rate on first passage.
Furthermore, after adaptation in the porcine mouse model this prion showed
similar biological and biochemical characteristics than BSE adapted to this
porcine mouse model. Altogether these data indicate.
(i) the unsuspected potential abilities of atypical scrapie to cross
species barriers
(ii) the possible capacity of this agent to acquire new characteristics
when crossing species barrier
These findings raise some interrogation on the concept of TSE strain and on
the origin of the diversity of the TSE agents and could have consequences on
field TSE control measures.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Atypical/Nor98 Scrapie Infectivity in Sheep Peripheral Tissues
Sunday, May 18, 2008
*** BSE, CJD, and Baby foods (the great debate 1999 to 2005)
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
*** WHY THE UKBSEnvCJD ONLY THEORY IS SO POPULAR IN IT'S FALLACY,
£41,078,281 in compensation ***
*** SPORADIC CJD IN FARMERS AND FARMERS WIVES WITH BSE DOCUMENTED HERDS
***
Monday, May 19, 2008
*** SPORADIC CJD IN FARMERS, FARMERS WIVES, FROM FARMS WITH BSE HERD AND
ABATTOIRS ***
***********CJD REPORT 1994 increased risk for consumption of veal and
venison and lamb***********
CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIRD ANNUAL
REPORT AUGUST 1994
Consumption of venison and veal was much less widespread among both cases
and controls. For both of these meats there was evidence of a trend with
increasing frequency of consumption being associated with increasing risk of
CJD. (not nvCJD, but sporadic CJD...tss)
These associations were largely unchanged when attention was restricted to
pairs with data obtained from relatives. ...
Table 9 presents the results of an analysis of these data.
There is STRONG evidence of an association between ‘’regular’’ veal eating
and risk of CJD (p = .0.01).
Individuals reported to eat veal on average at least once a year appear to
be at 13 TIMES THE RISK of individuals who have never eaten veal.
There is, however, a very wide confidence interval around this estimate.
There is no strong evidence that eating veal less than once per year is
associated with increased risk of CJD (p = 0.51).
The association between venison eating and risk of CJD shows similar
pattern, with regular venison eating associated with a 9 FOLD INCREASE IN RISK
OF CJD (p = 0.04).
There is some evidence that risk of CJD INCREASES WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY
OF LAMB EATING (p = 0.02).
The evidence for such an association between beef eating and CJD is weaker
(p = 0.14). When only controls for whom a relative was interviewed are included,
this evidence becomes a little STRONGER (p = 0.08).
snip...
It was found that when veal was included in the model with another
exposure, the association between veal and CJD remained statistically
significant (p = < 0.05 for all exposures), while the other exposures ceased
to be statistically significant (p = > 0.05).
snip...
In conclusion, an analysis of dietary histories revealed statistical
associations between various meats/animal products and INCREASED RISK OF CJD.
When some account was taken of possible confounding, the association between
VEAL EATING AND RISK OF CJD EMERGED AS THE STRONGEST OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS
STATISTICALLY. ...
snip...
In the study in the USA, a range of foodstuffs were associated with an
increased risk of CJD, including liver consumption which was associated with an
apparent SIX-FOLD INCREASE IN THE RISK OF CJD. By comparing the data from 3
studies in relation to this particular dietary factor, the risk of liver
consumption became non-significant with an odds ratio of 1.2 (PERSONAL
COMMUNICATION, PROFESSOR A. HOFMAN. ERASMUS UNIVERSITY, ROTTERDAM). (???...TSS)
snip...see full report ;
Thursday, October 10, 2013
*************CJD REPORT 1994 increased risk for consumption of veal and
venison and lamb**************
CJD9/10022
October 1994
Mr R.N. Elmhirst Chairman British Deer Farmers Association Holly Lodge
Spencers Lane BerksWell Coventry CV7 7BZ
Dear Mr Elmhirst,
CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE (CJD) SURVEILLANCE UNIT REPORT
Thank you for your recent letter concerning the publication of the third
annual report from the CJD Surveillance Unit. I am sorry that you are
dissatisfied with the way in which this report was published.
The Surveillance Unit is a completely independant outside body and the
Department of Health is committed to publishing their reports as soon as they
become available. In the circumstances it is not the practice to circulate the
report for comment since the findings of the report would not be amended. In
future we can ensure that the British Deer Farmers Association receives a copy
of the report in advance of publication.
The Chief Medical Officer has undertaken to keep the public fully informed
of the results of any research in respect of CJD. This report was entirely the
work of the unit and was produced completely independantly of the the
Department.
The statistical results reqarding the consumption of venison was put into
perspective in the body of the report and was not mentioned at all in the press
release. Media attention regarding this report was low key but gave a realistic
presentation of the statistical findings of the Unit. This approach to
publication was successful in that consumption of venison was highlighted only
once by the media ie. in the News at one television proqramme.
I believe that a further statement about the report, or indeed statistical
links between CJD and consumption of venison, would increase, and quite possibly
give damaging credence, to the whole issue. From the low key media reports of
which I am aware it seems unlikely that venison consumption will suffer
adversely, if at all.
http://web.archive.org/web/20030511010117/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/10/00003001.pdf
*** 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.
Tuesday, July 01, 2014
*** CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD TSE PRION DISEASE, GAME FARMS, AND
POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS THERE FROM ***
*** REPORT OF THE MEETING OF THE OIE TERRESTRIAL ANIMAL HEALTH STANDARDS
COMMISSION Paris, 19–28 February 2013
In response to a Member Country’s detailed justification for listing of
chronic wasting disease of cervids (CWD) against the criteria of Article 1.2.2.,
the Code Commission recommended this disease be reconsidered for listing.
Monday, May 05, 2014
*** Member Country details for listing OIE CWD 2013 against the criteria of
Article 1.2.2., the Code Commission recommends consideration for listing ***
*** 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).
as I said, what if ?
*** our results raise the possibility that CJD cases classified as VV1 may
include cases caused by iatrogenic transmission of sCJD-MM1 prions or food-borne
infection by type 1 prions from animals, e.g., chronic wasting disease prions in
cervid. In fact, two CJD-VV1 patients who hunted deer or consumed venison have
been reported (40, 41). The results of the present study emphasize the need for
traceback studies and careful re-examination of the biochemical properties of
sCJD-VV1 prions. ***
===========================================
Thursday, January 2, 2014
*** CWD TSE Prion in cervids to hTGmice, Heidenhain Variant
Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease MM1 genotype, and iatrogenic CJD ??? ***
WHAT IF ?
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Exploring the zoonotic potential of animal prion diseases: In vivo and in
vitro approaches
*** PPo3-7: Prion Transmission from Cervids to Humans is Strain-dependent
*** Here we report that a human prion strain that had adopted the cervid
prion protein (PrP) sequence through passage in cervidized transgenic mice
efficiently infected transgenic mice expressing human PrP,
*** indicating that the species barrier from cervid to humans is prion
strain-dependent and humans can be vulnerable to novel cervid prion strains.
PPo2-27:
Generation of a Novel form of Human PrPSc by Inter-species Transmission of
Cervid Prions
*** Our findings suggest that CWD prions have the capability to infect
humans, and that this ability depends on CWD strain adaptation, implying that
the risk for human health progressively increases with the spread of CWD among
cervids.
PPo2-7:
Biochemical and Biophysical Characterization of Different CWD Isolates
*** The data presented here substantiate and expand previous reports on the
existence of different CWD strains.
Envt.07:
Pathological Prion Protein (PrPTSE) in Skeletal Muscles of Farmed and Free
Ranging White-Tailed Deer Infected with Chronic Wasting Disease
***The presence and seeding activity of PrPTSE in skeletal muscle from
CWD-infected cervids suggests prevention of such tissue in the human diet as a
precautionary measure for food safety, pending on further clarification of
whether CWD may be transmissible to humans.
>>>CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE , THERE WAS NO ABSOLUTE BARRIER TO
CONVERSION OF THE HUMAN PRION PROTEIN<<<
*** PRICE OF CWD TSE PRION POKER GOES UP 2014 ***
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE PRION update January 2, 2014
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
Molecular Barriers to Zoonotic Transmission of Prions
*** 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.
PRION2013 CONGRESSIONAL ABSTRACTS CWD
Sunday, August 25, 2013
HD.13: CWD infection in the spleen of humanized transgenic mice
***These results indicate that the CWD prion may have the potential to
infect human peripheral lymphoid tissues.
Oral.15: Molecular barriers to zoonotic prion transmission: Comparison of
the ability of sheep, cattle and deer prion disease isolates to convert normal
human prion protein to its pathological isoform in a cell-free system
***However, they also show that there is no absolute barrier ro conversion of
human prion protein in the case of chronic wasting disease.
PRION2013 CONGRESSIONAL ABSTRACTS CWD
Sunday, August 25, 2013
***Chronic Wasting Disease CWD risk factors, humans, domestic cats, blood,
and mother to offspring transmission
Friday, November 09, 2012
*** Chronic Wasting Disease CWD in cervidae and transmission to other
species
there is in fact evidence that the potential for cwd transmission to humans
can NOT be ruled out.
I thought your readers and hunters and those that consume the venison,
should have all the scientific facts, personally, I don’t care what you eat, but
if it effects me and my family down the road, it should then concern everyone,
and the potential of iatrogenic transmission of the TSE prion is real i.e.
‘friendly fire’, medical, surgical, dental, blood, tissue, and or products there
from...like deer antler velvet and TSE prions and nutritional supplements there
from, all a potential risk factor that should not be ignored or silenced. ...
the prion gods at the cdc state that there is ;
''no strong evidence''
but let's see exactly what the authors of this cwd to human at the cdc
state ;
now, let’s see what the authors said about this casual link, personal
communications years ago. see where it is stated NO STRONG evidence. so, does
this mean there IS casual evidence ????
“Our conclusion stating that we found no strong evidence of CWD
transmission to humans”
From: TSS (216-119-163-189.ipset45.wt.net)
Subject: CWD aka MAD DEER/ELK TO HUMANS ???
Date: September 30, 2002 at 7:06 am PST
From: "Belay, Ermias"
To:
Cc: "Race, Richard (NIH)" ; ; "Belay, Ermias"
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 9:22 AM
Subject: RE: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS
Dear Sir/Madam,
In the Archives of Neurology you quoted (the abstract of which was attached
to your email), we did not say CWD in humans will present like variant CJD.
That assumption would be wrong. I encourage you to read the whole article
and call me if you have questions or need more clarification (phone:
404-639-3091). Also, we do not claim that "no-one has ever been infected with
prion disease from eating venison." Our conclusion stating that we found no
strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans in the article you quoted or in
any other forum is limited to the patients we investigated.
Ermias Belay, M.D. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 10:15 AM
To: rr26k@nih.gov; rrace@niaid.nih.gov; ebb8@CDC.GOV
Subject: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS
Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:26 PM ......snip........end..............TSS
Thursday, April 03, 2008
A prion disease of cervids: Chronic wasting disease
2008 1: Vet Res. 2008 Apr 3;39(4):41
A prion disease of cervids: Chronic wasting disease
Sigurdson CJ.
snip...
*** twenty-seven CJD patients who regularly consumed venison were reported
to the Surveillance Center***,
snip...
full text ;
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Prion Remains Infectious after Passage through Digestive System of American
Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE NEUROPATHOLOGY OF THE RED-NECKED OSTRICH (STRUTHIO
CAMELUS) - SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY
4.21 Three cases of SE’s with an unknown infectious agent have been
reported in ostriches (Struthio Camellus) in two zoos in north west Germany
(Schoon @ Brunckhorst, 1999, Verh ber Erkeg Zootiere 33:309-314). These birds
showed protracted central nervous symptoms with ataxia, disturbances of balance
and uncoordinated feeding behaviour. The diet of these birds had included
poultry meat meal, some of which came from cattle emergency slaughter
cases.
SE1806
TRANSMISSION STUDIES OF BSE TO DOMESTIC FOWL BY ORAL EXPOSURE TO BRAIN
HOMOGENATE
1 challenged cock bird was necropsied (41 months p.i.) following a period
of ataxia, tremor, limb abduction and other neurological signs.
Histopathological examination failed to reveal any significant lesions of the
central or peripheral nervous systems...
1 other challenged cock bird is also showing ataxia (43 months p.i.).
snip...
94/01.19/7.1
A notification of Spongiform Encephalopathy was introduced in October 1996
in respect of ungulates, poultry and any other animal.
4.23 MAFF have carried out their own transmission experiments with hens. In
these experiments, some of the chickens exposed to the BSE agent showed
neurological symptoms. However MAFF have not so far published details of the
symptoms seen in chickens. Examination of brains from these chickens did not
show the typical pathology seen in other SE’s. 4.24 A farmer in Kent in November
1996 noticed that one of his 20 free range hens, the oldest, aged about 30
months was having difficulty entering its den and appeared frightened and tended
to lose its balance when excited. Having previously experienced BSE cattle on
his farm, he took particular notice of the bird and continued to observe it over
the following weeks. It lost weight, its balance deteriorated and characteristic
tremors developed which were closely associated with the muscles required for
standing. In its attempts to maintain its balance it would claw the ground more
than usual and the ataxia progressively developed in the wings and legs, later
taking a typical form of paralysis with a clumsy involuntary jerky motion.
Violent tremors of the entire body, particularly the legs, became common,
sparked off by the slightest provocation. This is similar to that seen in many
BSE cases where any excitement may result in posterior ataxia, often with
dropping of the pelvis, kicking and a general nervousness. Three other farmers
and a bird breeder from the UK are known to have reported having hens with
similar symptoms. The bird breeder who has been exhibiting his birds for show
purposes for 20 years noticed birds having difficulty getting on to their perch
and holding there for any length of time without falling. Even though the bird
was eating normally, he noticed a weight loss of more than a pound in a bird the
original weight of which was 5 pounds. 4.25 Histological examination of the
brain revealed degenerative pathological changes in hens with a minimal
vacuolation. The presence of PrP immunostaining of the brain sections revealed
PrP-sc positive plaques and this must be regarded as very strong evidence to
demonstrate that the hens had been incubating Spongiform Encephalopathy.
OPINION on : NECROPHAGOUS BIRDS AS POSSIBLE TRANSMITTERS OF TSE/BSE ADOPTED
BY THE SCIENTIFIC STEERING COMMITTEE AT ITS MEETING OF 7-8 NOVEMBER 2002
OPINION
1. Necrophagous birds as possible transmitters of BSE. The SSC considers
that the evaluation of necrophagous birds as possible transmitters of BSE,
should theoretically be approached from a broader perspective of mammals and
birds which prey on, or are carrion eaters (scavengers) of mammalian species.
Thus, carnivorous and omnivorous mammals, birds of prey (vultures, falcons,
eagles, hawks etc.), carrion eating birds (crows, magpies etc.) in general could
be considered possible vectors of transmission and/or spread of TSE infectivity
in the environment. In view also of the occurrence of Chronic Wasting Disease
(CWD) in various deer species it should not be accepted that domestic cattle and
sheep are necessarily the only source of TSE agent exposure for carnivorous
species. While some information is available on the susceptibility of
wild/exotic/zoo animals to natural or experimental infection with certain TSE
agents, nothing is known of the possibility of occurrence of TSE in wild animal
populations, other than among the species of deer affected by CWD in the
USA.
1 The carrion birds are animals whose diet regularly or occasionally
includes the consumption of carcasses, including possibly TSE infected ruminant
carcasses.
C:\WINNT\Profiles\bredagi.000\Desktop\Necrophagous_OPINION_0209_FINAL.doc
snip...
skroll down to the bottom ;
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 16:24:51 –0700
Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Sender: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." Subject: The Red-Neck Ostrich & TSEs
'THE AUTOPSY'
Friday, April 20, 2012
Ultrastructural findings in pigs experimentally infected with bovine
spongiform encephalopathy agent
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 Swine Are Susceptible to Chronic Wasting Disease
by Intracerebral Inoculation snip... In the US, feeding of ruminant by-products
to ruminants is prohibited, but feeding of ruminant materials to swine, mink and
poultry still occurs. Although unlikely, the potential for swine to have access
to TSE-contaminated feedstuffs exists. snip... http://www.prion2011.ca/files/PRION_2011_-_Posters_(May_5-11).pdf
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 Swine Are Susceptible to Chronic Wasting Disease by
Intracerebral Inoculation (see tonnage of mad cow feed in commerce USA...tss) http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2011/07/swine-are-susceptible-to-chronic.html
In an experimental study of the transmissibility of BSE to the pig, seven of 10
pigs, infected at 1-2 weeks of age by multiple-route parenteral inoculation with
a homogenate of bovine brain from natural BSE cases developed lesions typical of
spongiform encephalopathy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=npg&cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10684682&dopt=Abstract
PLEASE NOTE, these old BSE Inquiry links take a while to open with the wayback
machine, so be patient. ...tss Title: Experimental Intracerebral and Oral
Inoculation of Scrapie to Swine: Preliminary Report In the United States,
feeding of ruminant by-products to ruminants is prohibited, but feeding of
ruminant materials to swine and poultry still occurs. The potential for swine to
have access to scrapie-contaminated feedstuffs exists, but the potential for
swine to serve as a host for replication/accumulation of the agent of scrapie is
unknown. The purpose of this study was to perform oral and intracerebral
inoculation of the U.S. scrapie agent to determine the potential of swine as a
host for the scrapie agent and their clinical susceptibility. snip... IN
CONFIDENCE EXPERIMENTAL PORCINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY 1. CMO should be aware
that a pig inoculated experimentally (ic, iv, and ip) with BSE brain suspension
has after 15 months developed an illness, now confirmed as a spongiform
encephalopathy. This is the first ever description of such a disease in a pig,
although it seems there ar no previous attempts at experimental inoculation with
animal material. The Southwood group had thought igs would not be susceptible.
Most pigs are slaughtered when a few weeks old but there have been no reports of
relevant neurological illness in breeding sows or other elderly pigs. ...see
full text ; http://web.archive.org/web/20040302031004/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/08/23001001.pdf
IN CONFIDENCE So it is plausible pigs could be preclinically affected with BSE
but since so few are allowed to reach adulthood this has not been recognised
through clinical disease. ... http://web.archive.org/web/20040904150118/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/08/23002001.pdf
snip... CONFIDENTIAL EXPERIMENTAL PORCINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY snip... see
full text ; Thursday, November 10, 2011 National Meat Association v. Harris
Docket No., 10-224 DEADSTOCK DOWNER PIGS AND PORCINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY
PSE Court Likely to Overturn Calif. Law on Livestock http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2011/11/national-meat-association-v-harris.html
PORCINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY PSE
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion Disease North America
2014
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion Disease have now been
discovered in a wide verity of species across North America. typical C-BSE,
atypical L-type BASE BSE, atypical H-type BSE, atypical H-G BSE, of the bovine,
typical and atypical Scrapie strains, in sheep and goats, with atypical Nor-98
Scrapie spreading coast to coast in about 5 years. Chronic Wasting Disease CWD
in cervid is slowly spreading without any stopping it in Canada and the USA and
now has mutated into many different strains. Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy
TME outbreaks. These Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion Disease
have been silently mutating and spreading in different species in North America
for decades.
The USDA, FDA, et al have assured us of a robust Triple BSE TSE prion
Firewall, of which we now know without a doubt, that it was nothing but ink on
paper. Since the 1997 mad cow feed ban in the USA, literally tons and tons of
banned mad cow feed has been put out into commerce, never to return, as late as
December of 2013, serious, serious breaches in the FDA mad cow feed ban have
been documented. The 2004 enhanced BSE surveillance program was so flawed, that
one of the top TSE prion Scientist for the CDC, Dr. Paul Brown stated ; Brown,
who is preparing a scientific paper based on the latest two mad cow cases to
estimate the maximum number of infected cows that occurred in the United States,
said he has "absolutely no confidence in USDA tests before one year ago" because
of the agency's reluctance to retest the Texas cow that initially tested
positive. see ; http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2006/03/15/Analysis-What-that-mad-cow-means/UPI-12841142465253/
The BSE surveillance and testing have also been proven to be flawed, and
the GAO and OIG have both raised serious question as to just how flawed it has
been (see GAO and OIG reports). North America has more documented TSE prion
disease, in different documented species (excluding the Zoo BSE animals in the
EU), then any other place on the Globe. This does not include the very
likelihood that TSE prion disease in the domestic feline and canine have been
exposed to high doses of the TSE prion disease vid pet food. To date, it’s still
legal to include deer from cwd zone into pet food or deer food. Specified Risk
Material i.e. SRM bans still being breach, as recently as just last month.
nvCJD or what they now call vCJD, another case documented in Texas last
month, with very little information being released to the public on about this
case? with still the same line of thought from federal officials, ‘it can’t
happen here’, so another vCJD blamed on travel of a foreign animal disease from
another country, while ignoring all the BSE TSE Prion risk factors we have here
in the USA and Canada, and the time that this victim and others, do spend in the
USA, and exposed to these risk factors, apparently do not count in any way with
regard to risk factor. a flawed process of risk assessment.
sporadic CJD, along with new TSE prion disease in humans, of which the
young are dying, of which long duration of illness from onset of symptoms to
death have been documented, only to have a new name added to the pot of prion
disease i.e. sporadic GSS, sporadic FFI, and or VPSPR. I only ponder how a
familial type disease could be sporadic with no genetic link to any family
member? when the USA is the only documented Country in the world to have
documented two different cases of atypical H-type BSE, with one case being
called atypical H-G BSE with the G meaning Genetic, with new science now showing
that indeed atypical H-type BSE is very possible transmitted to cattle via oral
transmission (Prion2014). sporadic CJD and VPSPR have been rising in Canada,
USA, and the UK, with the same old excuse, better surveillance. You can only use
that excuse for so many years, for so many decades, until one must conclude that
CJD TSE prion cases are rising. a 48% incease in CJD in Canada is not just a
blip or a reason of better surveillance, it is a mathematical rise in numbers.
More and more we are seeing more humans exposed in various circumstance in the
Hospital, Medical, Surgical arenas to the TSE Prion disease, and at the same
time in North America, more and more humans are becoming exposed to the TSE
prion disease via consumption of the TSE prion via deer and elk, cattle, sheep
and goats, and for those that are exposed via or consumption, go on to further
expose many others via the iatrogenic modes of transmission of the TSE prion
disease i.e. friendly fire. I pondered this mode of transmission via the victims
of sporadic FFI, sporadic GSS, could this be a iatrogenic event from someone
sub-clinical with sFFI or sGSS ? what if?
Two decades have passed since Dr. Ironside first confirmed his first ten
nvCJD victims in 1995. Ten years later, 2005, we had Dr. Gambetti and his first
ten i.e. VPSPR in younger victims. now we know that indeed VPSPR is
transmissible. yet all these TSE prion disease and victims in the USA and Canada
are being pawned off as a spontaneous event, yet science has shown, the
spontaneous theory has never been proven in any natural case of TSE prion
disease, and scientist have warned, that they have now linked some sporadic CJD
cases to atypical BSE, to atypical Scrapie, and to CWD, yet we don’t here about
this in the public domain. We must make all human and animal TSE prion disease
reportable in every age group, in ever state and internationally, we must have a
serious re-evaluation and testing of the USA cattle herds, and we must ban
interstate movement of all cervids. Any voluntary effort to do any of this will
fail. Folks, we have let the industry run science far too long with regards to
the TSE prion disease. While the industry and their lobbyist continues to funnel
junk science to our decision policy makers, Rome burns. ...end
REFERENCES
[all scientific peer review studies and other scientific information I have
put into blogs, to shorten reference data. I DO NOT advertise or make money from
this, this information is for education use...lost my mom to the hvCJD, and just
made a promise, never forget, and never let them forget. ...TSS]
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion Disease North America
2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
PRION 2014 CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD
Monday, June 23, 2014
PRION 2014 TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL BSE AND CJD REPORT UPDATES
VARIABLY PROTEASE-SENSITVE PRIONOPATHY IS TRANSMISSIBLE ...price of prion
poker goes up again $
OR-10: Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy is transmissible in bank
voles
Romolo Nonno,1 Michele Di Bari,1 Laura Pirisinu,1 Claudia D’Agostino,1
Stefano Marcon,1 Geraldina Riccardi,1 Gabriele Vaccari,1 Piero Parchi,2 Wenquan
Zou,3 Pierluigi Gambetti,3 Umberto Agrimi1 1Istituto Superiore di Sanità; Rome,
Italy; 2Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università di Bologna; Bologna,
Italy; 3Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, OH USA
Background. Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr) is a recently
described “sporadic”neurodegenerative disease involving prion protein
aggregation, which has clinical similarities with non-Alzheimer dementias, such
as fronto-temporal dementia. Currently, 30 cases of VPSPr have been reported in
Europe and USA, of which 19 cases were homozygous for valine at codon 129 of the
prion protein (VV), 8 were MV and 3 were MM. A distinctive feature of VPSPr is
the electrophoretic pattern of PrPSc after digestion with proteinase K (PK).
After PK-treatment, PrP from VPSPr forms a ladder-like electrophoretic pattern
similar to that described in GSS cases. The clinical and pathological features
of VPSPr raised the question of the correct classification of VPSPr among prion
diseases or other forms of neurodegenerative disorders. Here we report
preliminary data on the transmissibility and pathological features of VPSPr
cases in bank voles.
Materials and Methods. Seven VPSPr cases were inoculated in two genetic
lines of bank voles, carrying either methionine or isoleucine at codon 109 of
the prion protein (named BvM109 and BvI109, respectively). Among the VPSPr cases
selected, 2 were VV at PrP codon 129, 3 were MV and 2 were MM. Clinical
diagnosis in voles was confirmed by brain pathological assessment and western
blot for PK-resistant PrPSc (PrPres) with mAbs SAF32, SAF84, 12B2 and 9A2.
Results. To date, 2 VPSPr cases (1 MV and 1 MM) gave positive transmission
in BvM109. Overall, 3 voles were positive with survival time between 290 and 588
d post inoculation (d.p.i.). All positive voles accumulated PrPres in the form
of the typical PrP27–30, which was indistinguishable to that previously observed
in BvM109 inoculated with sCJDMM1 cases.
In BvI109, 3 VPSPr cases (2 VV and 1 MM) showed positive transmission until
now. Overall, 5 voles were positive with survival time between 281 and 596
d.p.i.. In contrast to what observed in BvM109, all BvI109 showed a GSS-like
PrPSc electrophoretic pattern, characterized by low molecular weight PrPres.
These PrPres fragments were positive with mAb 9A2 and 12B2, while being negative
with SAF32 and SAF84, suggesting that they are cleaved at both the C-terminus
and the N-terminus. Second passages are in progress from these first successful
transmissions.
Conclusions. Preliminary results from transmission studies in bank voles
strongly support the notion that VPSPr is a transmissible prion disease.
Interestingly, VPSPr undergoes divergent evolution in the two genetic lines of
voles, with sCJD-like features in BvM109 and GSS-like properties in BvI109.
The discovery of previously unrecognized prion diseases in both humans and
animals (i.e., Nor98 in small ruminants) demonstrates that the range of prion
diseases might be wider than expected and raises crucial questions about the
epidemiology and strain properties of these new forms. We are investigating this
latter issue by molecular and biological comparison of VPSPr, GSS and Nor98.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
VARIABLY PROTEASE-SENSITVE PRIONOPATHY IS TRANSMISSIBLE, price of prion
poker goes up again $
CANADA SEE STEADY INCREASE OF THE SPORADIC CJD’S AND THE VPSPR’S (sporadic
CJD’s). ...tss
PLEASE NOTE, type determination pending Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (tdpCJD)
in Canada is also on a steady increase.
please see ;
> 3. Final classification of 50 cases from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is
pending.
CJD Deaths Reported by CJDSS1, 1994-20122
As of May 31, 2012
Deaths of Definite and Probable CJD
Year Sporadic Iatrogenic Familial GSS FFI vCJD Total
1994 2 0 0 1 0 0 3
1995 3 0 0 0 0 0 3
1996 13 0 0 0 0 0 13
1997 16 0 1 1 0 0 18
1998 22 1 0 1 0 0 24
1999 26 2 2 1 0 0 31
2000 32 0 0 3 0 0 35
2001 27 0 2 1 0 0 30
2002 31 0 2 2 0 1 36
2003 27 1 1 0 0 0 29
2004 42 0 1 0 0 0 43
2005 42 0 0 2 0 0 44
2006 39 0 1 3 1 0 44
2007 35 0 0 4 0 0 39
2008 48 0 1 0 0 0 49
2009 48 0 3 2 0 0 53
2010 34 0 3 0 0 0 37
2011 37 0 2 1 0 1 41
2012 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Total 525 4 19 22 1 2 573
1. CJDSS began in 1998
2. Data before 1998 are retrospective and partial, data from 1998 to 2008
are complete, and data for 2009 - 2012 are provisional
3. Final classification of 50 cases from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is
pending.
CJD Deaths Reported by CJDSS1, 1994-20122
As of May 31, 2012
SEE DECEMBER 2012 CANADA
USA SEE STEADY INCREASE OF THE SPORADIC CJD’S AND THE VPSPR’S (sporadic
CJD’s). ...tss
National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center
Cases Examined1
(May 18, 2012)
Year Total Referrals2 Prion Disease Sporadic Familial Iatrogenic vCJD
1996 & earlier 50 32 28 4 0 0
1997 114 68 59 9 0 0
1998 88 52 44 7 1 0
1999 123 74 65 8 1 0
2000 145 103 89 14 0 0
2001 210 120 110 10 0 0
2002 248 149 125 22 2 0
2003 266 168 137 31 0 0
2004 326 187 164 22 0 13
2005 344 194 157 36 1 0
2006 382 196 166 28 0 24
2007 377 213 185 28 0 0
2008 396 232 206 26 0 0
2009 423 256 212 43 1 0
2010 413 257 216 41 0 0
2011 410 257 213 43 0 0
2012 153 82 51 15 0 0
TOTAL 44685 26406 2227 387 6 3
1 Listed based on the year of death or, if not available, on year of
referral;
2 Cases with suspected prion disease for which brain tissue and/or blood
(in familial cases) were submitted;
3 Disease acquired in the United Kingdom;
4 Disease was acquired in the United Kingdom in one case and in Saudi
Arabia in the other case;
5 Includes 14 cases in which the diagnosis is pending, and 18 inconclusive
cases;
6 Includes 17 (16 from 2012) cases with type determination pending in which
the diagnosis of vCJD has been excluded. The Sporadic cases include 16 cases of
sporadic Fatal Insomnia (sFI) and 42 cases of Variably Protease-Sensitive
Prionopathy (VPSPr) and 2118 cases of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD).
Rev 5/18/2012
> 6 Includes
> 17 (16 from 2012) cases with type determination pending in which the
diagnosis of vCJD has been excluded.
> The Sporadic cases include 16 cases of sporadic Fatal Insomnia (sFI)
and 42 cases of Variably Protease-Sensitive Prionopathy (VPSPr) and 2118 cases
of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD).
WELL, it seems the USA mad cow strains in humans classified as type
determination pending tdpCJD, VPSPr, sFFI, and sCJD) have steadily increased
over the years, and the same old song and dance continues with sporadic CJD
cases $$$
*** The discovery of previously unrecognized prion diseases in both humans
and animals (i.e., Nor98 in small ruminants) demonstrates that the range of
prion diseases might be wider than expected and raises crucial questions about
the epidemiology and strain properties of these new forms. We are investigating
this latter issue by molecular and biological comparison of VPSPr, GSS and
Nor98.
Increased Atypical Scrapie Detections
Press reports indicate that increased surveillance is catching what
otherwise would have been unreported findings of atypical scrapie in sheep. In
2009, five new cases have been reported in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and
Saskatchewan. With the exception of Quebec, all cases have been diagnosed as
being the atypical form found in older animals. Canada encourages producers to
join its voluntary surveillance program in order to gain scrapie-free status.
The World Animal Health will not classify Canada as scrapie-free until no new
cases are reported for seven years. The Canadian Sheep Federation is calling on
the government to fund a wider surveillance program in order to establish the
level of prevalence prior to setting an eradication date. Besides long-term
testing, industry is calling for a compensation program for farmers who report
unusual deaths in their flocks.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
*** atypical Nor-98 Scrapie has spread from coast to coast in the USA 2012
NIAA Annual Conference April 11-14, 2011San Antonio, Texas
Monday, June 02, 2014
Confirmed Variant CJD Case in Texas
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Are USDA assurances on mad cow case 'gross oversimplification'?
Singeltary submission to PLOS ;
RE: re-Human Prion Diseases in the United States part 2 flounder replied to
flounder on 02 Jan 2010 at 21:26 GMT I would kindly like to add to my initial
concerns, something I brought up years ago, and I believe that still hold true
today, more so even than when I first stated these concerns in 2003 ;
routine passive mortality CJD surveillance USA ?
THIS has been proven not to be very useful in the U.K.;
THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CJD RG WILL 1984 (182 PAGES)
snip...
One reason for this was the _inaccuracy_ in coding of cases correctly
certified as CJD Coding is carried out by staff who are not medically qualified
and it is not surprising that coding errors occur in the processing of large
numbers of certificates. In 1982, 12,000 certificates per week were processed at
the office of population censuses and surveys by 15 coders and 6 checkers
(Alderson et al., 1983). The occurrence of both inter- and intra-observer coding
errors has been described (Curb et al., 1983) and the _inaccuracies_ of BOTH
certification and coding discovered in this study _support_ the introduction of
a more accurate system of death certificates and a more detailed and specific
coding system...
snip...
Draft Proposal For The Monitoring of Creutzfeldt-Kakob Disease 1989 Dr. R.
Will
snip...
IDENTIFICATION OF CASES
Cases of CJD may be identified from death certificates, but this alone is
unlikely to provide adequate monitoring. ERRORS are made in certification and
diagnosis; in the Oxford study death certificates were obtained on a series of
known confirmed cases and CJD was mentioned in only 66% of certificates. In
another series of 175 certified cases, 42 patients were judged not to have
suffered from CJD after examination of case notes (7)...
full text;
http://web.archive.org/web/20050526035006/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1989/05/00005001.pdf
AS implied in the Inset 25 we must not _ASSUME_ that transmission of BSE to
other species will invariably present pathology typical of a scrapie-like
disease.
snip...
http://web.archive.org/web/20060307063542/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1991/01/04004001.pdf
Confucius is confused again? how in 1996 and earlier can the 28 sporadic
CJD victims and the one-in-a-million there from, how can it still be one in a
million in 2008, with the sporadic CJD count rising to 205, still be
one-in-a-million? and the years in-between, steady rise just about every year,
and it still be only one-in-a-million, year after year after years? I suppose
just more of that fuzzy math, which you can see here;
Please see my complete comment to this synopsis here ;
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Human Prion Diseases in the United States January 1, 2010
snip...see full text ;
Singeltary submission to PLOS ; RE: re-Human Prion Diseases in the United
States part 2 flounder replied to flounder on 02 Jan 2010 at 21:26 GMT
No competing interests declared.
No competing interests declared.
see full text ;
26 March 2003
Terry S. Singeltary, retired (medically) CJD WATCH
I lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant CJD). I would like to comment
on the CDC's attempts to monitor the occurrence of emerging forms of CJD.
Asante, Collinge et al [1] have reported that BSE transmission to the
129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is
indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. However, CJD
and all human TSEs are not reportable nationally. CJD and all human TSEs must be
made reportable in every state and internationally. I hope that the CDC does not
continue to expect us to still believe that the 85%+ of all CJD cases which are
sporadic are all spontaneous, without route/source. We have many TSEs in the USA
in both animal and man. CWD in deer/elk is spreading rapidly and CWD does
transmit to mink, ferret, cattle, and squirrel monkey by intracerebral
inoculation. With the known incubation periods in other TSEs, oral transmission
studies of CWD may take much longer. Every victim/family of CJD/TSEs should be
asked about route and source of this agent. To prolong this will only spread the
agent and needlessly expose others. In light of the findings of Asante and
Collinge et al, there should be drastic measures to safeguard the medical and
surgical arena from sporadic CJDs and all human TSEs. I only ponder how many
sporadic CJDs in the USA are type 2 PrPSc?
Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Singeltary, Sr et al.
JAMA.2001; 285: 733-734. Vol. 285 No. 6, February 14, 2001 JAMA
Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Gibbons and colleagues1
reported that the annual US death rate due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
has been stable since 1985. These estimates, however, are based only on reported
cases, and do not include misdiagnosed or preclinical cases. It seems to me that
misdiagnosis alone would drastically change these figures. An unknown number of
persons with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in fact may have CJD, although
only a small number of these patients receive the postmortem examination
necessary to make this diagnosis. Furthermore, only a few states have made CJD
reportable. Human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies should be
reportable nationwide and internationally.
Terry S. Singeltary, Sr Bacliff, Tex
1. Gibbons RV, Holman RC, Belay ED, Schonberger LB. Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease in the United States: 1979-1998. JAMA. 2000;284:2322-2323. FREE FULL
TEXT
2 January 2000
British Medical Journal
U.S. Scientist should be concerned with a CJD epidemic in the U.S., as
well
15 November 1999
British Medical Journal
vCJD in the USA * BSE in U.S.
14th ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
Final Abstract Number: ISE.114
Session: International Scientific Exchange
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North
America update October 2009
T. Singeltary
Bacliff, TX, USA
Background:
An update on atypical BSE and other TSE in North America. Please remember,
the typical U.K. c-BSE, the atypical l-BSE (BASE), and h-BSE have all been
documented in North America, along with the typical scrapie's, and atypical
Nor-98 Scrapie, and to date, 2 different strains of CWD, and also TME. All these
TSE in different species have been rendered and fed to food producing animals
for humans and animals in North America (TSE in cats and dogs ?), and that the
trading of these TSEs via animals and products via the USA and Canada has been
immense over the years, decades.
Methods:
12 years independent research of available data
Results:
I propose that the current diagnostic criteria for human TSEs only enhances
and helps the spreading of human TSE from the continued belief of the UKBSEnvCJD
only theory in 2009. With all the science to date refuting it, to continue to
validate this old myth, will only spread this TSE agent through a multitude of
potential routes and sources i.e. consumption, medical i.e., surgical, blood,
dental, endoscopy, optical, nutritional supplements, cosmetics etc.
Conclusion:
I would like to submit a review of past CJD surveillance in the USA, and
the urgent need to make all human TSE in the USA a reportable disease, in every
state, of every age group, and to make this mandatory immediately without
further delay. The ramifications of not doing so will only allow this agent to
spread further in the medical, dental, surgical arena's. Restricting the
reporting of CJD and or any human TSE is NOT scientific. Iatrogenic CJD knows NO
age group, TSE knows no boundaries. I propose as with Aguzzi, Asante, Collinge,
Caughey, Deslys, Dormont, Gibbs, Gajdusek, Ironside, Manuelidis, Marsh, et al
and many more, that the world of TSE Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy is
far from an exact science, but there is enough proven science to date that this
myth should be put to rest once and for all, and that we move forward with a new
classification for human and animal TSE that would properly identify the
infected species, the source species, and then the route.
*** PLOS Singeltary reply ; Molecular, Biochemical and Genetic
Characteristics of BSE in Canada Singeltary reply ;
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Public Health Crisis
Friday, April 25, 2014
Accuracy of administrative diagnostic data for pathologically confirmed
cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Article in Press
Monday, May 19, 2014
Variant CJD: 18 years of research and surveillance
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Calls for Briefing on Beef Recalled for Mad Cow
Potential Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Monday, June 9, 2014
TEXAS MAD COW COVER UP (human BSE) AGAIN IN TEXAS, Mr. President Sir, we
need your help please
Governor Rick Perry has done everything he can to cover up mad cow disease
and human TSE prion disease there from in Texas over the last 15 years or so. We
have another nvCJD case here in Texas i.e. human BSE, still no information there
from, another lame excuse, typical though, and more junk science, we need help
Mr. President...
TSS
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
4:05 PM
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