NR AWHS
AU Juntes,P.; Zabavnik Piano,J.; Vengust,G.; Bidovec,A.; Pogarcnik,M.
TI Monitoring for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in wild ruminants in Slovenia
QU International Conference - Prion 2006: Strategies, advances and trends towards protection of society - 3.10.-6.10.2006, Torino, Italy, Lingotto Conference Centre - Poster sessions EPI-11
PT Konferenz-Poster
AB Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of wild ruminants, diagnosed up till now only in USA and Canada, both in captured and free living animals. Most of European countries experienced BSE and scrapie so far, including our country and epidemiological situation for these diseases is thoroughly monitored and well known. However situation about CWD is in general unknown in Europe, except of a few data acquired in some of the countries on voluntary basis. The aim of our study was to obtain initial information on CWD status in the population of red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and fellow deer (Dama dama) in our country, with the emphasis on examination of animals coming from the regions where TSEs in domestic animals were diagnosed. Animals included in the study were killed or found dead. Altogether heads of 32 red deer, 27 roe deer and 28 fellow deer were collected, and samples of the brain and lymphoid tissues from the head gathered and examined for CWD. Brain stems were tested with rapid post-mortem test and the rest of the brain and lymphoid tissues were fixed and paraffin embedded for whole brain histopathology and immunohistochemistry. All samples tested negative for CWD with rapid post-mortem test, all brain regions including cerebral cortex, brain stem with medulla and obex, and cerebellum were negative for specific spongiform lesions in histopathology, and immunohistochemistry for prion protein was negative, too. These preliminary results on a small number of cervids indicate that the epidemiological situation for CWD in our country is good at the moment; however more intense and long-term survey is needed, especially in the regions where scrapie became endemic.
AD P. Juntes, M. Pogacnik: Institute of Pathology, Forensic and Administrative Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; J. Zabavnik Piano: Institute for Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; G. Vengust: Institute for Breeding and Health Care of Wild Animals, Fishes and Bees, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. E-mail: polona.juntes@vf.uni-lj.si
SP englisch
PO Italien