NR AWAV
AU Agrimi,U.; Nonno,R.; Di Bari,M.A.; Fazzi,P.; Conte,M.; Frassanito,P.; Simson,S.; Parisi,C.; Vaccari,G.
TI Efficient transmission and characterization of Chronic Wasting Disease in bank voles
QU International Conference - Prion 2006: Strategies, advances and trends towards protection of society - 3.10.-6.10.2006, Torino, Italy, Lingotto Conference Centre, Workshop of the Neuroprion Cervid Group - Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): Current knowledge and European perspective 2006, 3.10.2006
PT Konferenz-Vortrag
AB Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of free-ranging and captive cervids. It represents the only TSE affecting wild animals populations under natural conditions. Its geographic distribution in United States and Canada is currently expanding, posing new challenges to animal and human health. Although the transmission of CWD to humans or domestic animal species has not been proven, the availability of tools for characterising CWD strains and comparing them with those of other animal and human TSEs, would represent a significant improvement in protecting human and animal health. The bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is a rodent species which proved to be very susceptible to a number of animal and human TSEs. The vole PrP gene is polymorphic at codon 109 codifying either Methionine or Isoleucine. On this basis, two lines of voles named Cg109MM and Cg109II, have been obtained. The vole model was used for transmitting two cases of elk CWD and for comparing their transmission characteristics with those of other human and animal TSEs. CWD transmitted to bank voles with survival times of 185-190 d.p.i. in Cg109II and 260-280 d.p.i. in Cg109MM. Subsequent passages in the two vole's lines were accompanied by reduction of survival times up to 35±3 d.p.i. in Cg109II and 60±5 d.p.i. in Cg109MM. Preliminary analysis of survival times, lesion profiles, PrPsc molecular characteristics and PrPsc deposition pattern, showed some differences among the two CWD isolates, suggesting that different CWD strains could be involved. The comparison of CWD isolates adapted to Cg109MM with several TSE isolates previously adapted to the same vole's line, shows substantial differences between CWD and other sheep, bovine and human TSEs. These findings show that voles are susceptible to CWD and can be used for biological strain typing. The susceptibility of bank voles to different human and animal TSEs makes it as a valuable animal model in which the biological characteristics of isolates of different TSEs from various species can be compared. Furthermore, voles provide a model with very short survival times for adapted CWD, which could be of interest for studying the biological properties of CWD strains in laboratory animals.
AD Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy. E-mail: umberto.agrimi@iss.it
SP englisch
PO Italien