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Characterization of BSE and scrapie strains/isolates
M H Groschup1, T Kuczius, F Junghans
1Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Tübingen, Germany.
Archives of Virology. Supplementum
|February 24, 2001
Summary
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) transmission to sheep was investigated using PrP(Sc) fragment analysis. Current immuno-chemical criteria show no evidence of BSE in Irish sheep, pending further incubation and lesion profile data.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic raised concerns about transmission to small ruminants.
- Scrapie, endemic in many countries, could potentially conceal BSE infections in sheep.
- Distinguishing between BSE and scrapie in sheep is crucial for public and animal health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply immuno-chemical criteria for differentiating BSE and scrapie in sheep.
- To investigate the potential transmission of BSE to Irish sheep through analysis of PrP(Sc) fragments.
Main Methods:
- Developed differential characterization criteria for experimental BSE and scrapie strains in rodents.
- Quantified relative banding intensities of PrP(Sc) glycotypes using photoimaging.
- Analyzed proteinase K degradation kinetics and PrP(Sc) fragment molecular masses post-PK cleavage.
Main Results:
- Identified three key criteria for differentiating BSE and scrapie strains in rodents.
- Applied these criteria to representative samples of scrapie-diseased Irish sheep.
- No evidence of BSE infection was found in the analyzed Irish sheep samples based on current criteria.
Conclusions:
- The developed immuno-chemical criteria show no evidence of BSE in the studied Irish sheep population.
- Further data from mouse incubation time and lesion profiles are necessary for a definitive conclusion.
- This research contributes to understanding transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) epidemiology in small ruminants.