Scrapie Agent Can Transmit Disease via the Oral Route after Persistence in Soil
Author Information
Author(s): Seidel Bjoern, Thomzig Achim, Buschmann Anne, Groschup Martin H., Peters Rainer, Beekes Michael, Terytze Konstantin
Primary Institution: Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology und Applied Ecology (IME), Schmallenberg, Germany
Hypothesis
Can the 263K scrapie agent persist in soil and remain infectious after a prolonged period?
Conclusion
The study found that the 263K scrapie agent can persist in soil for at least 29 months and remains infectious when administered orally to Syrian hamsters.
Supporting Evidence
- PrPSc was detectable in soil after 29 months.
- Hamsters fed with contaminated soil developed scrapie symptoms after 162 days.
- PrPSc in soil can be amplified using protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA).
Takeaway
This study shows that prions, which cause diseases like scrapie, can stay in the soil for a long time and still make animals sick if they eat the contaminated soil.
Methodology
The researchers used outdoor lysimeters to simulate soil contamination with scrapie prions and analyzed the infectivity through hamster bioassays and Western blotting.
Limitations
Only one soil type was tested, and the number of animals in the bioassay was limited.
Participant Demographics
Female Syrian hamsters, approximately 90 days old.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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