ISSN 1999-4915
www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses
Article
Molecular Modeling of Prion Transmission to Humans
Etienne Levavasseur 1, Nicolas Privat 1, Juan-Carlos Espinosa Martin 2, 
Steve Simoneau 3, Thierry Baron 4, Benoit Flan 3, Juan-Maria Torres 2 and 
Stéphane Haïk 1,5,6,* 1 Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC 
Univ. Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, 
75013 Paris, France; E-Mails: etienne.levavasseur@inserm.fr (E.L.); 
nicolas.privat@inserm.fr (N.P.) 2 Centro de Investigacion en Sanidad Animal, 
Carretera de Algete a El Casar, 28130 Madrid, Spain; E-Mails: 
espinosa.juan@inia.es (J.-C.E.M.); jmtorres@inia.es (J.-M.T.) 3 LFB 
Biomédicaments, 91958 Les Ulis, France; E-Mails: simoneaus@lfb.fr (S.S.); 
flan@lfb.fr (B.F.) 4 Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, 
de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), Unité Maladies neurodégénératives, 
69394 Lyon, France; E-Mail: thierry.baron@anses.fr 5 AP-HP, Hôpital de la 
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule nationale de référence des MCJ, F-75013 Paris, France 
6 AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Neuropathologie, 75013 Paris, 
France
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: 
stephane.haik@courriel.upmc.fr; Tel.: +33-142-162-628; Fax: +33-142-161-899. 
External Editor: Judd Aiken and Debbie McKenzie
Received: 24 July 2014; in revised form: 26 September 2014/ Accepted: 30 
September 2014/ Published: 02 October 2014
Abstract: 
Using different prion strains, such as the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob 
disease agent and the atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy agents, and 
using transgenic mice expressing human or bovine prion protein, we assessed the 
reliability of protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) to model 
interspecies and genetic barriers to prion transmission. We compared our PMCA 
results with in vivo transmission data characterized by attack rates, i.e., the 
percentage of inoculated mice that developed the disease. Using 19 
seed/substrate combinations, we observed that a significant PMCA amplification 
was only obtained when the mouse line used as substrate is susceptible to the 
corresponding strain. Our results suggest that PMCA provides a useful tool to 
study genetic barriers to transmission and to study the zoonotic potential of 
emerging prion strains.
1. Introduction
Prion diseases are fatal transmissible disorders affecting humans and 
animals. They are characterized by brain vacuolization, neuronal loss and 
accumulation of PrPsc, an abnormal isoform of the host-encoded cellular prion 
protein (PrPc). PrPsc has been proposed as the infectious agent, capable of 
converting PrPc into PrPsc in an autocatalytical manner [1]. In humans, prion 
diseases result from contamination, genetic inheritance or sporadic event. The 
host susceptibility is influenced by the prion protein-encoding gene PRNP. For 
example, the variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), which has been 
associated to the classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE) epidemics 
in cattle through contaminated meat product consumption [2], has occurred so far 
only in individuals homozygous for methionine at codon 129 of PRNP [3]. However, 
this finding has been under debate [4,5]. Studies have investigated interspecies 
and genotypic barriers [6,7] using an in vitro PrPsc amplification system named 
protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) [8]. This method allows, in PCR 
tubes, the amplification of minute amounts of PrPsc in infected tissues (seed) 
in the presence of normal brain homogenate in excess (substrate), after cycles 
of incubation and sonication. Then, the final product of the reaction can be 
detected after proteinase K digestion by Western blot. While PMCA allows the 
amplification of PrPsc, it has also been demonstrated that infectivity was 
increased during the reaction [9], and that prion strain properties were 
maintained throughout the reaction [10–12]. Brains from humans or transgenic 
mice expressing a human PrP with methionine at codon 129 of PRNP provided the 
best substrates to amplify vCJD and BSE PrPsc [6,7], suggesting that PMCA may 
reproduce faithfully the genotypic transmission barrier. It was thus proposed as 
a means to evaluate the zoonotic risk associated with emerging prion strains 
(Nor98 in sheep, L-type BSE in cattle). Indeed, while classical BSE strain has 
been recognized to be at the origin of vCJD in humans, L-BSE is considered to be 
a sporadic form of prion disease in cattle, differing in many aspects 
(epidemiology, neuropathology, biochemical features) from the C-BSE strain. 
***Moreover, L-BSE has been transmitted more easily to transgenic mice 
overexpressing a human PrP [13,14] or to primates [15,16] than C-BSE. 
***It has been suggested that some sporadic CJD subtypes in humans may 
result from an exposure to the L-BSE agent. 
Lending support to this hypothesis, pathological and biochemical 
similarities have been observed between L-BSE and an sCJD subtype (MV genotype 
at codon 129 of PRNP) [17], and between L-BSE infected non-human primate and 
another sCJD subtype (MM genotype) [15].
Therefore, we investigated whether PMCA is reliable to model the genotypic 
and interspecies barrier of transmission notably using L-BSE and C-BSE strains. 
We assessed the seeding ability of PrPsc from human (vCJD) and animal (C-BSE, 
L-BSE) prion strains to convert human or bovine PrPc. The aim of the study was 
to compare, for each seed/substrate combination, the result obtained by PMCA 
with the transmission efficiency previously observed in vivo.
snip...
Monday, November 3, 2014
***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. 
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)...
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. 
-------- 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... 
2014
***Moreover, L-BSE has been transmitted more easily to transgenic mice 
overexpressing a human PrP [13,14] or to primates [15,16] than C-BSE. 
***It has been suggested that some sporadic CJD subtypes in humans may 
result from an exposure to the L-BSE agent. Lending support to this hypothesis, 
pathological and biochemical similarities have been observed between L-BSE and 
an sCJD subtype (MV genotype at codon 129 of PRNP) [17], and between L-BSE 
infected non-human primate and another sCJD subtype (MM genotype) [15].
snip...
*** Singeltary reply ; Molecular, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics 
of BSE in Canada Singeltary reply ; 
4th MAD COW DISEASE U.S.A. CALIFORNIA ATYPICAL L-TYPE BASE BSE 2012 
Saturday, August 4, 2012 
*** Final Feed Investigation Summary - California atypical BASE BSE Case - 
July 2012 (ATYPICAL L-TYPE BASE BSE) 
Discussion: The C, L and H type BSE cases in Canada exhibit molecular 
characteristics similar to those described for classical and atypical BSE cases 
from Europe and Japan. *** This supports the theory that the importation of BSE 
contaminated feedstuff is the source of C-type BSE in Canada. *** It also 
suggests a similar cause or source for atypical BSE in these countries. *** 
see page 176 of 201 pages...tss 
I think they still test the lowest possible by oie standards, to keep them 
in line for trade, which is about 40,000 a year, from 95 million or 
so...tss
USDA NEVER GOT STARTED GOOD BEFORE SHUTTING DOWN $$$
Why is USDA "only" testing 40,000 samples a year? USDA's surveillance 
strategy is to focus on the targeted populations where we are most likely to 
find disease if it is present. This is the most effective way to meet both OIE 
and our domestic surveillance standards. After completing our enhanced 
surveillance in 2006 and confirming that our BSE prevalence was very low, we 
concluded that 40,000 samples per year from these targeted, high risk 
populations would far exceed these standards. In fact, this sampling is ten 
times greater than OIE standards . 
The total number of cattle and calves in the U.S. on January 1, 2014, was 
87.73 million head, down 1.8% from January 2013 and 9.2% lower than at the last 
cyclical peak in 2007. This is the lowest January cattle inventory since 1951, 
_supposedly_, due to the drought, but I have my concern with that. the 2004 
enhanced BSE surveillance program was shut down after finding two mad cows 
(atypical's), and in my opinion, that's why they shut it down. also, Dr. Paul 
Brown from the cdc said he trusted nothing from them after the Texas 2nd mad cow 
was covered up for months and months, on what was suppose to be a 48 hour turn 
around on testing. he said this ;
"Everything they did on the Texas cow makes everything USDA did before 2005 
suspect," Brown said. (see link below).
the rest is history ; 
An Arizona meat processing company and its owner pled guilty in February 
2007 to charges of theft of Government funds, mail fraud, and wire fraud. The 
owner and his company defrauded the BSE Surveillance Program when they falsified 
BSE Surveillance Data Collection Forms and then submitted payment requests to 
USDA for the services. In addition to the targeted sample population (those 
cattle that were more than 30 months old or had other risk factors for BSE), the 
owner submitted to USDA, or caused to be submitted, BSE obex (brain stem) 
samples from healthy USDA-inspected cattle. As a result, the owner fraudulently 
received approximately $390,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 2007. 
snip... 
Topics that will be covered in ongoing or planned reviews under Goal 1 
include: 
soundness of BSE maintenance sampling (APHIS), 
implementation of Performance-Based Inspection System enhancements for 
specified risk material (SRM) violations and improved inspection controls over 
SRMs (FSIS and APHIS), 
snip... 
The findings and recommendations from these efforts will be covered in 
future semiannual reports as the relevant audits and investigations are 
completed. 
4 USDA OIG SEMIANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS FY 2007 1st Half 
Office of the United States Attorney District of Arizona FOR IMMEDIATE 
RELEASE For Information Contact Public Affairs February 16, 2007 WYN HORNBUCKLE 
Telephone: (602) 514-7625 Cell: (602) 525-2681 
CORPORATION AND ITS PRESIDENT PLEAD GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING GOVERNMENT’S MAD 
COW DISEASE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM 
PHOENIX -- Farm Fresh Meats, Inc. and Roland Emerson Farabee, 55, of 
Maricopa, Arizona, pleaded guilty to stealing $390,000 in government funds, mail 
fraud and wire fraud, in federal district court in Phoenix. U.S. Attorney Daniel 
Knauss stated, “The integrity of the system that tests for mad cow disease 
relies upon the honest cooperation of enterprises like Farm Fresh Meats. Without 
that honest cooperation, consumers both in the U.S. and internationally are at 
risk. 
WE can only hope that this is a single incident. BUT i have my doubts. I 
remember when the infamous TOKEN Purina Feed Mill in Texas was feeding up to 5.5 
grams of potentially and probably tainted BANNED RUMINANT feed to cattle, and 
the FDA was bragging at the time that the amount of potentially BANNED product 
was so little and the cattle were so big ; 
"It is important to note that the prohibited material was domestic in 
origin (therefore not likely to contain infected material because there is no 
evidence of BSE in U.S. cattle), fed at a very low level, and fed only once. The 
potential risk of BSE to such cattle is therefore exceedingly low, even if the 
feed were contaminated." 
On Friday, April 30 th , the Food and Drug Administration learned that a 
cow with central nervous system symptoms had been killed and shipped to a 
processor for rendering into animal protein for use in animal feed. ... FDA's 
investigation showed that the animal in question had already been rendered into 
"meat and bone meal" (a type of protein animal feed). Over the weekend FDA was 
able to track down all the implicated material. That material is being held by 
the firm, which is cooperating fully with FDA. 
WE now know all that was a lie. WE know that literally Thousands of TONS of 
BANNED and most likely tainted product is still going out to commerce. WE know 
now and we knew then that .005 to a gram was lethal. WE know that CWD infected 
deer and elk, scrapie infected sheep, BSE and BASE infected cattle have all been 
rendered and fed back to livestock (including cattle) for human and animal 
consumption. 
Paul Brown, known and respected TSE scientist, former TSE expert for the 
CDC said he had ''absolutely no confidence in USDA tests before one year ago'', 
and this was on March 15, 2006 ; 
"The fact the Texas cow showed up fairly clearly implied the existence of 
other undetected cases," Dr. Paul Brown, former medical director of the National 
Institutes of Health's Laboratory for Central Nervous System Studies and an 
expert on mad cow-like diseases, told United Press International. "The question 
was, 'How many?' and we still can't answer that." 
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. 
USDA officials finally retested the cow and confirmed it was infected seven 
months later, but only at the insistence of the agency's inspector general. 
"Everything they did on the Texas cow makes everything USDA did before 2005 
suspect," Brown said. ...snip...end 
CDC - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Variant Creutzfeldt ... Dr. Paul 
Brown is Senior Research Scientist in the Laboratory of Central Nervous System 
... Address for correspondence: Paul Brown, Building 36, Room 4A-05, ... 
PAUL BROWN COMMENT TO ME ON THIS ISSUE 
Tuesday, September 12, 2006 11:10 AM 
"Actually, Terry, I have been critical of the USDA handling of the mad cow 
issue for some years, and with Linda Detwiler and others sent lengthy detailed 
critiques and recommendations to both the USDA and the Canadian Food Agency." 
OR, what the Honorable Phyllis Fong of the OIG found ; 
Finding 2 Inherent Challenges in Identifying and Testing High-Risk Cattle 
Still Remain 
*** Singeltary reply ; Molecular, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics 
of BSE in Canada Singeltary reply ; 
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 
MAD COW USDA TSE PRION COVER UP or JUST IGNORANCE, for the record AUGUST 
2014 
Thursday, October 02, 2014 
[Docket No. APHIS-2013-0064] Concurrence With OIE Risk Designations for 
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Saturday, August 14, 2010 
BSE Case Associated with Prion Protein Gene Mutation (g-h-BSEalabama) and 
VPSPr PRIONPATHY 
2009 UPDATE ON ALABAMA AND TEXAS MAD COWS 2005 and 2006 
***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. 
P.169: PrPSc distribution in brain areas of a natural German H-type BSE 
case
Anne Balkema-Buschmann, Grit Priemer, Markus Keller, and Martin H Groschup 
Friedrich Loeffler Institut, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious 
Diseases; Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
Keywords: BSE H-type, brain, muscle
Ten years after the initial description of atypical BSE cases of the H-type 
and L-type, the distribution of PrPSc in different brain areas and peripheral 
tissues of natural cases of these BSE forms is still not fully understood. 
Intracerebral challenge experiments have been performed with both atypical BSE 
forms in cattle, and the distribution of the abnormal prion protein and 
infectivity has been analysed in a variety of tissues, confirming the general 
restriction to the central nervous system as it was already generally 
acknowledged for classical BSE, but showing a slightly earlier and stronger 
involvement of the peripheral nervous system and the skeletal muscle. 
www.landesbioscience.com Prion 105
However, data from cattle orally challenged with atypical BSE, which might 
mimic the natural situation, are not yet available. Unfortunately, for most 
natural cases of atypical BSE, only the obex region is available for further 
analysis. The PrPSc distribution in the brains of natural L-type BSE cases in 
Italy has been described in some detail, but comparably few such data are yet 
available for natural H-type cases. Here we describe the analysis of different 
brain areas and muscle samples of a natural H-type BSE case diagnosed in Germany 
in 2014, and compare these data with those obtained from the respective samples 
collected from cattle challenged intracerebrally with H-type BSE.
P.159: Transgenic mice overexpressing rabbit prion protein are susceptible 
to BSE, BASE and scrapie prion strains but resistant to CWD and atypical 
scrapie
Natalia Fernández-Borges,1 Enric Vidal,2 Belén Pintado,4 Hasier Eraña,1 
Montserrat Ordóñez,3 Mercedes Márquez,5 Francesca Chianini,6 Dolors Fondevila,5 
Manuel A Sánchez-Martín,7 Olivier Andréoletti,8 Mark P Dagleish,6 Martí 
Pumarola,5 and Joaquín Castilla1,3 1CIC bioGUNE; Parque tecnológico de Bizkaia; 
Derio; Bizkaia, Spain; 2Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA); UAB-IR TA, 
Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Bellaterra; Barcelona, 
Catalonia, Spain; 3IKERBASQUE; Basque Foundation for Science; Bilbao, Bizkaia, 
Spain; 4Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB), Campus de Cantoblanco; 
Cantoblanco; Madrid, Spain; 5Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery; 
Veterinary faculty; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB); Bellaterra 
(Cerdanyola del Vallès); Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; 6Moredun Research 
Institute; Bush Loan, Penicuik, Scotland, UK; 7Unidad de Generación de OMGs. 
S.E.A. Department of Medicine; University of Salamanca; Salamanca, Spain; 8Ecole 
Nationale du Veterinaire; Service de Pathologie du Bétail; Toulouse, 
France
Interspecies transmission of prions is a well established phenomenon, both 
experimentally and in field conditions. Upon passage through new hosts prion 
strains have proven their capacity to change their properties. It is, in fact, a 
source of strain diversity which needs to be considered when assessing the 
potential risks associated with consumption of prion contaminated protein 
sources.
Rabbits were considered for decades a prion resistant species until proven 
recently otherwise. To determine the extent of rabbit susceptibility to prions 
and to assess their effects on the passage of different prion strains through 
this species, a transgenic mouse model overexpressing rabbit PrPC was developed 
(TgRab). Intracerebral challenges with prion strains originating from a variety 
of species including field isolates (SSBP1 scrapie, Nor98-like scrapie, BSE, 
BASE and CWD), experimental murine strains (ME7 and RML), experimentally 
obtained strains (sheepBSE) and strains obtained by in vitro crossing of the 
species barrier using saPMCA (BSE-RabPrPres, SSBP1-RabPrPres and CWD-RabPrPres) 
have been performed.
Interestingly, on first passage, TgRab were susceptible to the majority of 
prions tested with the exception of SSBP1 scrapie, CWD and Nor98 scrapie. 
Furthermore TgRab were capable of propagating strain-specific features such as 
differences in incubation periods, brain lesion and PrPd deposition profiles and 
PK resistant western blotting band patterns. Our results confirm previous 
studies shattering the myth that rabbits are resistant to prion infection and 
this should be taken into account when choosing protein sources to feed rabbits. 
P.168: Evolution of the biological properties of L-BSE after passage in 
sheep with susceptible and resistant PrP genotypes
Michele A Di Bari, Umberto Agrimi, Claudia D’Agostino, Geraldina Riccardi, 
Stefano Marcon, Elena Esposito, Paolo Frassanito, Flavio Torriani, Shimon 
Simson, and Romolo Nonno Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) Department of 
Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety; Rome, Italy
Background. Cattle L-BSE was efficiently transmitted to sheep with 
susceptible (QQ171) and resistant (QR171) PrP genotypes. 1 Notably, the PrPSc 
signature of L-BSE was preserved in QQ171 sheep but not in QR171 sheep.2 
Notwithstanding, bioassay in transgenic mice expressing bovine or ovine (ARQ) 
PrPC showed that L-BSE strain was preserved in both, QQ171 and QR171 
sheep-passaged L-BSE.3
Here we studied the biological properties of sheep-passaged L-BSE by 
bioassay in bank voles and transgenic mice expressing the ovine VRQ PrP (tg338), 
both characterized by a comparatively low susceptibility to cattle L-BSE.
Material and Methods. Voles and tg338 mice were intracerebrally inoculated 
with cattle L-BSE and sheep-passaged (QQ171 and QR171) L-BSE isolates. Survival 
time, lesion profiles, Pet-blot and WB analysis were used for strain typing. 
Results. Cattle L-BSE transmitted quite inefficiently to tg338 mice, with 
survival time >400 days post-infection (d.p.i.), while sheep-passaged inocula 
were much more efficient and all gave terminal disease by ~140 d.p.i. However, 
after sub-passage all inocula converged to a survival time of ~145 d.p.i.. and 
showed overlapping pathological phenotypes.
In voles, cattle L-BSE transmitted with very long survival times (~800 
d.p.i.) and was accompanied by an upward shift of the PrPSc type. Again, all 
sheep-passaged L-BSE isolates transmitted much more efficiently, with similar 
survival times of ~360 d.p.i.. Upon second passage, three different strains were 
isolated in vole, characterized by distinct pathological phenotypes. This 
divergence is epitomized by the different survival times of vole-adapted L-BSE 
strains, which were ~400 d.p.i. for cattle L-BSE, ~130 d.p.i. for QQ171-passaged 
L-BSE and ~225 d.p.i. for QR171-passaged L-BSE.
Conclusions. These findings, along with previously published data,3 show 
that the original L-BSE strain was recovered after passage in sheep when 
bioassay was performed in animal models expressing bovine or ovine PrPC. In 
contrast, strain changes were observed in both, QQ171- and QR171-passaged L-BSE 
by bioassay in vole, a species with divergent PrP sequence compared to 
ruminants. Importantly, QQ171- and QR171-passaged L-BSE were characterised by 
different PrPSc types and, accordingly, showed different biological properties 
when transmitted to voles, but not when transmitted to other animal models. 
Overall, our work support the hypothesis that prion isolates are likely 
composed of multiple prion components, emphasizes the role of host PrP 
polymorphisms on strain selection and mutation, and highlights the risk for new 
potentially zoonotic strains that could emerge from prion evolution in animal 
reservoirs.
P.172: BSE exposure risk from bovine intestine and mesentery
Fulvio Barizzone,1 Herbert Budka,2 Christine Fast,3 John N Griffin,4 
Giuseppe Ru,5 Pietro Stella1 and Olivier Andréoletti6 1European Food Safety 
Authority; Parma, Italy; 2Institute of Neuropathology; University Hospital 
Zurich; Zurich, Switzerland; 3Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Institute of Novel 
and Emerging Infectious Diseases; Isle of Riems, Germany; 4Department of 
Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Backweston, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland; 
5Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte; Liguria e Valle d’Aosta; 
Biostatistics Epidemiology and Analysis of Risk (BEAR) unit; Turin, Italy; 6UMR 
Interactions Hôtes Agents Pathogènes; Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire INR A; ENVT; 
Toulouse, France
Keywords: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), cattle, intestine, 
mesentery, specified risk material (SRM), quantitative risk assessment 
(QRA)
Bovine intestines and mesenteries in the European Union (EU) are considered 
among the tissues potentially containing the highest level of BSE infectivity 
and have to be removed from the food and feed chain. A quantitative assessment 
of the BSE infectious load potentially entering the food and feed chain yearly 
in the European Union (EU) was developed. The evolution of the BSE infectious 
titre and of the weight of the structures accumulating infectivity was 
considered. The number of BSE infected cattle entering undetected in the food 
and feed chain yearly was estimated. A model (TSEi) was developed to estimates 
the evolution of the BSE infectious load in animals and the total yearly 
infectious load that could enter the food and feed chain. In a BSE infected 
bovine, the distribution of infectivity in intestines and mesentery varies with 
the age. Up to 36 months of age the infectivity is mainly associated (on average 
more than 90%) with the last 4 metres of small intestine and the caecum, over 36 
and under 60 months of age, there is an inter-individual variability, from 60 
months of age the infectivity is mainly associated (on average more than 90%) 
with the mesenteric nerves and the celiac and mesenteric ganglion complex. The 
total amount of infectivity peaks, about 15 BoID50, in animals younger than 18 
months, it declines to 8-9 BoID50 (24–48 months of age) and it drops to 0.7 
BoID50 in animals older than 60 months. The ileocaecal plate is the most 
infectious part of the intestine and it can be used to estimate the potential 
maximum level of exposure for an individual consumer. 
In the EU, between 2007 and 2012, the yearly amount of BSE infectivity 
associated with intestine and mesentery from animals entering the food and feed 
chain was reduced by a factor of 10 (from about 23,000 to about 2,000 BoID50). 
However, the maximum level of exposure to the BSE agent from intestine 
remained stable (on average about 1.5-1.6 BoID50 per meter). 
In case of re-emergence of BSE in the EU there would be an increase of the 
potential maximum level of exposure to BSE from intestine. According to the TSEi 
model the removal of the last four metres of the small intestine and of the 
caecum from the food and feed chain would result in a major reduction of the BSE 
exposure risk associated with intestine and mesentery in cattle. 
P.131: Transmission of sheep-bovine spongiform encephalopathy in pigs
Carlos Hedman,1 Belén Marín,1 Fabian Corbière,3 Hicham Filali,1 Francisco 
Vázquez, José Luis Pitarch,1 William Jirón,1 Rodrigo S Hernandez,1 Bernardino 
Moreno,1 Martí Pumarola,2 Olivier Andréoletti,3 Juan José Badiola,1 and Rosa 
Bolea1 1University of Zaragoza; Zaragoza, Spain; 2University of Barcelona; 
Barcelona, Spain; 3Institut National de la Recherche (INR A); Toulouse, 
France
Introduction. The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) don´t 
occur in swine in natural conditions. However, the bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy (BSE) agent, inoculated by 3 simultaneous routes in pigs, is able 
to reproduce a neurological disease in these animals. On the other hand, the BSE 
agent after passage in sheep under experimental conditions (sheep- BSE) exhibits 
altered pathobiologic properties. This new agent is able to cross the cattle-pig 
transmission barrier more efficiently than BSE. The potential propagation of TSE 
in animals from the human food chain, including pigs, needs to be assessed 
regarding the risk for human infection by animals other than TSE-infected 
ruminants. The aim of this work was to determine the susceptibility of pigs to 
the Sheep-BSE agent and describe the pathological findings and PrPSc deposition 
in different tissues.
Material and Methods. Seven minipigs were challenged intracerebrally with 
sheep-BSE agent. Clinical observation and postmortem histopathology, 
immunohistochemistry (antibody 2G11) and Western blotting were performed on 
central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system (PNS) and other 
tissues.
Results. One pig was culled in an early incubation stage, and remaining six 
were culled at the presence of clinical sings. Pigs developed a clinical disease 
with locomotor disorders in an average time of 23 months post inoculation, 
showing clinical findings in most of them earlier than those described in the 
BSE in pigs experimental infection. TSE wasn´t confirmed in the preclinical pig. 
In clinical pigs, the entire cerebral cortex showed severe neuropil vacuolation, 
extensive and severe vacuolar changes affecting the thalamus, hippocampus and 
cerebellum. PrPSc was found in CNS of all clinical pigs (6/6). Intracellular 
(intraneuronal and intraglial) and neuropil-associated PrPSc deposition was 
consistently observed in the brainstem, thalamus, and deeper layers of the 
cerebral cortex. Also, PrPSc was observed in PNS, mainly in the myenteric plexus 
and also in nerves belonging to the skeleton muscle. Moreover, the glycosylation 
profile showed a 3 band pattern with a predominant monoglycosylated band in 
positive pig samples. 
This features concern on the potential risk of utilization of meat and 
bound meal of small ruminants in feeding pigs.
P.177: Elements modulating the prion species barrier and its passage 
consequences
Juan-Carlos Espinosa,1 Patricia Aguilar-Calvo,1 Ana Villa-Diaz,1 Olivier 
Andréoletti,2 and Juan María Torres1 1Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal 
(CISA-INI A); Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain; 2UMR INR A-ENVT 1225; Interactions Hôte 
Agent Pathogène; École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse; Toulouse, France
The phenotypic features of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) 
strains may be modified during passage across a species barrier. In this study 
we investigated the biochemical and biological characteristics of Bovine 
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) infectious agent after transmission in both 
natural host species (cattle, sheep, pigs, and mice) and in transgenic mice 
overexpressing the corresponding cellular prion protein (PrPC) in comparison 
with other non-BSE related prions from the same species. After these passages, 
most characteristics of the BSE agent remained unchanged. BSE-derived agents 
only showed slight modifications in the biochemical properties of the 
accumulated PrPSc, which were demonstrated to be reversible upon re-inoculation 
into transgenic mice expressing bovine-PrPC. Transmission experiments in 
transgenic mice expressing bovine, porcine or human-PrP revealed that all 
BSE-derived agents were transmitted with no or a weak transmission barrier. In 
contrast, a high species barrier was observed for the non-BSE related prions 
that harboured an identical PrP amino acid sequence such as sheep-scrapie, mouse 
RML or human sCJD isolates, supporting the theory that the prion transmission 
barrier is modulated by strain properties (presumably conformation-dependent) 
rather than by PrP amino acid sequence differences between host and donor.
As identical results were observed with prions propagated either in natural 
hosts or in transgenic mouse models, we postulate that the species barrier and 
its passage consequences are uniquely governed by the host PrPC sequence and not 
influenced by the PrPC expression level or genetic factors other than the PrPC 
amino acid sequence. All these findings unequivocally demonstrate that the 
species barrier and its passage consequences are uniquely driven by the PrPC 
sequence, and not by other host genetic factors, demonstrating the validity of 
transgenic PrP animals as models for studies of the species barrier.
The results presented herein reinforce the idea that the BSE agent is 
highly promiscuous, infecting other species, maintaining its properties in the 
new species, and even increasing its capabilities to jump to other species 
including humans. These data are essential for the development of an accurate 
risk assessment for BSE. 
P.150: Zoonotic potential of L-type BSE prions: A new prion disease in 
humans?
Emilie Jaumain,1 Stéphane Haïk,2 Isabelle Quadrio,3 Laetitia Herzog,1 
Fabienne Reine,1 Armand Perret-Liaudet,3 Human Rezaei,1 Hubert Laude,1 Jean-Luc 
Vilotte,4 and Vincent Béringue1 1INR A (Institut National de la Recherche 
Agronomique); UR892; Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires; Jouy-en-Josas, France; 
2IN SERM; Equipe maladie d’Alzheimer et maladies à Prions; CRicm; UMRS 1127; CNR 
S; UPMC. R.; ICM, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière; Paris, France; 3Neurobiologie, CMRR 
, Gériatrie, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Université Lyon 1-CNR S UMR5292-IN SERM 
U1028; Lyon, France; 3INR A; UMR1313; Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative; 
Jouy-en-Josas, France
Two novel prion strains, referred to as BSE-L and BSE-H, have been 
recognized in bovines through active prion surveillance programs, both being 
distinct from the epizootic, ‘classical’, BSE strain (C-BSE). Both H and L-types 
have been detected worldwide as rare cases occurring in aged animals. Like C-BSE 
prions, H- and L-types prions can propagate with relative ease in foreign 
species or in transgenic mouse lines expressing heterologous PrP sequences. A 
prion exhibiting biological properties similar to C-BSE agent sometimes emerged 
from these cross-species transmissions. Previously, L-type prions were shown to 
transmit to transgenic mice expressing human PrP with methionine at codon 129 
with higher efficacy than C-BSE prions. Here, we examined whether L-type prions 
propagate without any apparent transmission barrier in these mice and whether 
such ‘humanised’ L-type prions share biological properties with CJD prions. 
L-type prions and a panel of human CJD cases with various genotypes at codon 129 
and electrophoretic PrPres signatures were serially transmitted by intracerebral 
route to human PrP mice. The biological phenotypes induced by these agents were 
compared by all the standard methods currently used to distinguish between prion 
strains. At each passage, L-type prions were also transmitted back to bovine PrP 
mice to assess whether the agent has evolved upon passaging on the human PrP 
sequence. L-type prions transmitted to human PrP mice at 100% attack rate, 
without notable alteration in the mean incubation times over 5 passages. At each 
passage, ‘humanized’ L-type prions were able to transmit back to bovine PrP 
transgenic mice without apparent transmission barrier, as based on the survival 
time and the restoration of a L-type BSE phenotype. Comparison of mean 
incubation times on primary and subsequent passages in human PrP mice showed no 
overlap between L-type and sporadic CJD agents. While the electrophoretic 
signature and regional distribution of PrPres in L-type diseased mouse brains 
resembled that seen after transmission of MM2 CJD strain type, both agents 
exhibited distinct resistance of the associated PrPres molecules to protease 
denaturation.
In summary, L-type prions can be passaged on the human PrP sequence without 
any obvious transmission barrier. The phenotype obtained differs from the 
classical CJD prion types known so far. Careful extrapolation would suggest that 
the zoonotic transmission of this agent could establish a new prion disease type 
in humans. 
Protein Structure and Biology
P.200: Clinical expression of BSE in mouse models is unrelated to hallmarks 
of prion diseases
Christelle Jas-Duval,1,2 Jacqueline Mikol,1 Sophie Luccantoni-Freire,1 
Christine Defer,2 Jean-Jacques Huart,2 Paul Brown,1 Jean-Philippe Deslys,1 and 
Emmanuel E Comoy1 1CEA, Institute of Emerging Diseases and Innovative Therapies 
(iMETI), Division of Prions and Related Diseases (SEPIA); Fontenay-aux-Roses, 
France; 2EFS-Nord de France; Lille, France
Background. In 1997, we demonstrated that intracerebral inoculation of 
cattle BSE to C57Bl/6 mice induced neurological disease, even though half of the 
recipient animals were devoid of PrPres (Lasmezas et al., 1997). PrPres appeared 
with shortening incubation periods after subsequent passages, suggesting that 
detectable PrPres should be considered as an indicator of strain virulence 
rather than as a specific (and required) marker of prion diseases. Subsequent 
blood risk studies showed that cynomolgus macaques exposed to vCJD-contaminated 
blood products developed either classical vCJD or a novel neurological disease 
without detectable PrPres, In our continuing studies of this phenomenon, we now 
report the results of intravenous inoculations of several different wild-type 
mouse strains with bovine or primate BSE source material.
Materials and Methods. Brains from one bovine and one cynomolgus monkey 
showing clinical signs of BSE were sonicated and ultracentrifuged at 188,000 g 
for 1 hour. Resulting pellets and supernatants (equivalent to 2 mg of brain / 
mouse) were intravenously injected to PrP+/+ Swiss, PrP+/- and PrP+/+ C57Bl/6N 
mice, totalling 12 separate bioassays. PrPres was detected using conventional 
ELISA, western blotting and IHC procedures. Pathology was studied on 
formalin-fixed brain tissues.
Results. The transmission rate of BSE in those 12 experiments ranged from 
0% (PrP+/- C57Bl/6N—cattle BSE—supernatant or pellet: no clinical sign, no 
spongiosis and no PrPres) to 100% (Swiss—primate BSE—supernatant or pellet: all 
mice exhibited clinical signs, spongiosis and PrPres). Overall, transmission was 
more efficient in (1) Swiss than C57Bl/6 mice, (2) PrP+/+ than PrP+/- mice, (3) 
primate than cattle BSE and (4) pellets than supernatant preparations. Among the 
8 models exhibiting partial transmission ratios, 29 mice showed clinical 
neurological signs, of which only one-third (10) had detectable spongiosis and 
PrPres. The other animals exhibited only PrPres (7), only spongiosis (5) or 
neither (7).
Conclusion. Our results suggest that clinical neurotoxicity, spongiosis, 
and accumulation of PrPres are three interconnected but disparate phenomena. 
Spongiosis and PrPres are specific but not systematic hallmarks of the onset of 
prion diseases, notably upon first passage of non-adapted prion strains in a new 
host. These results question the universality of current human diagnostic 
criteria and the real prevalence of disease linked to BSE exposure.
Monday, June 23, 2014 
PRION 2014 TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL BSE AND CJD REPORT UPDATES 
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE (typical and atypical strains) USDA 
*** Saturday, November 2, 2013 *** 
Exploring the risks of a putative transmission of BSE to new species 
Wednesday, September 25, 2013 
Presence of subclinical infection in gene-targeted human prion protein 
transgenic mice exposed to atypical BSE 
I ask Professor Kong ; Thursday, December 04, 2008 3:37 PM 
Subject: RE: re--Chronic Wating Disease (CWD) and Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathies (BSE): Public Health Risk Assessment 
''IS the h-BSE more virulent than typical BSE as well, or the same as cBSE, 
or less virulent than cBSE? just curious.....'' Professor Kong reply ; 
.....snip 
*** ''As to the H-BSE, we do not have sufficient data to say one way or 
another, ***but we have found that H-BSE can infect humans. I hope we could 
publish these data once the study is complete. Thanks for your interest.'' 
Best regards, Qingzhong Kong, PhD Associate Professor Department of 
Pathology Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH 44106 USA 
END...TSS 
Thursday, December 04, 2008 2:37 PM 
"we have found that H-BSE can infect humans." 
personal communication with Professor Kong. ...TSS 
BSE-H is also transmissible in our humanized Tg mice. The possibility of 
more than two atypical BSE strains will be discussed. 
Supported by NINDS NS052319, NIA AG14359, and NIH AI 77774. 
please see below from PRION2013 ; 
*** This study imply the possibility that the novel BSE prions with high 
virulence in cattle will be emerged during intraspecies transmission. 
AD.56: The emergence of novel BSE prions by serial passages of H-type BSE 
in bovinized mice 
Kentaro Masujin, Naoko Tabeta, Ritsuko Miwa, Kohtaro Miyazawa, Hiroyuki 
Okada, Shirou Mohri and Takashi Yokoyama National Institute of Animal Health; 
Tsukuba, Japan 
H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is an atypical form of BSE, 
and has been detected in several European countries, and North America. 
Transmission studies of H-type BSE led to the emergence of the classical BSE 
(C-BSE) phenotypes during passages in inbred wild type and bovinized 
PrP-overexpressing transgenic mice. In this study, we conducted serial passages 
of Canadian H-type BSE isolate in bovinized PrP-overexpressing transgenic mice 
(TgBoPrP). H-type BSE isolate was transmitted to TgBoPrP with incubation periods 
of 320 ± 12.2 d at primary passage. The incubation period of 2nd and 3rd passage 
were constant (~= 220 d), no clear differences were observed in their biological 
and biochemical properties. However, at the forth passage, 2 different BSE 
phenotypes were confirmed; one is shorter survival times (109 ± 4 d) and the 
other is longer survival times. TgBoPrP mice with longer incubation period 
showed the H-type phenotype of PrPsc profile and pathology. However, those of 
shorter incubation period were different phenotypes from previously existed BSE 
prions (C-BSE, L-type BSE, and H-type BSE). 
*** This study imply the possibility that the novel BSE prions with high 
virulence in cattle will be emerged during intraspecies transmission. 
www.landesbioscience.com 
please see ; 
Thursday, August 15, 2013 
The emergence of novel BSE prions by serial passages of H-type BSE in 
bovinized mice 
Saturday, August 14, 2010 BSE 
*** Case Associated with Prion Protein Gene Mutation (g-h-BSEalabama) and 
VPSPr PRIONPATHY 
Sunday, September 1, 2013 
*** Evaluation of the Zoonotic Potential of Transmissible Mink 
Encephalopathy 
We previously described the biochemical similarities between PrPres derived 
from L-BSE infected macaque and cortical MM2 sporadic CJD: those observations 
suggest a link between these two uncommon prion phenotypes in a primate model 
(it is to note that such a link has not been observed in other models less 
relevant from the human situation as hamsters or transgenic mice overexpressing 
ovine PrP [28]). We speculate that a group of related animal prion strains 
(L-BSE, c-BSE and TME) would have a zoonotic potential and lead to prion 
diseases in humans with a type 2 PrPres molecular signature (and more 
specifically type 2B for vCJD)
snip...
Together with previous experiments performed in ovinized and bovinized 
transgenic mice and hamsters [8,9] indicating similarities between TME and 
L-BSE, the data support the hypothesis that L-BSE could be the origin of the TME 
outbreaks in North America and Europe during the mid-1900s. 
Saturday, November 2, 2013 
*** APHIS Finalizes Bovine Import Regulations in Line with International 
Animal Health Standards while enhancing the spread of BSE TSE prion mad cow type 
disease around the Globe ***
Singeltary Response to USDA, and USDA RESPONSE TO SINGELTARY ON HARVARD BSE 
RISK ASSESSMENT
Owens, Julie 
From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr. [flounder9@verizon.net] 
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 1:09 PM 
To: FSIS RegulationsComments 
Subject: [Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine 
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Page 1 of 98 
FSIS, USDA, REPLY TO SINGELTARY 
USDA FDA TRIPLE MAD COW BSE FIREWALL
10,000,000+ LBS. of PROHIBITED BANNED MAD COW FEED I.E. BLOOD LACED MBM IN 
COMMERCE USA 2007 
Date: March 21, 2007 at 2:27 pm PST 
RECALLS AND FIELD CORRECTIONS: VETERINARY MEDICINES -- CLASS II 
PRODUCT 
Bulk cattle feed made with recalled Darling's 85% Blood Meal, Flash Dried, 
Recall # V-024-2007 
CODE 
Cattle feed delivered between 01/12/2007 and 01/26/2007 
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER 
Pfeiffer, Arno, Inc, Greenbush, WI. by conversation on February 5, 2007. 
Firm initiated recall is ongoing. 
REASON 
Blood meal used to make cattle feed was recalled because it was cross- 
contaminated with prohibited bovine meat and bone meal that had been 
manufactured on common equipment and labeling did not bear cautionary BSE 
statement. 
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE 
42,090 lbs. 
DISTRIBUTION 
WI 
___________________________________ 
PRODUCT 
Custom dairy premix products: MNM ALL PURPOSE Pellet, HILLSIDE/CDL Prot- 
Buffer Meal, LEE, M.-CLOSE UP PX Pellet, HIGH DESERT/ GHC LACT Meal, TATARKA, M 
CUST PROT Meal, SUNRIDGE/CDL PROTEIN Blend, LOURENZO, K PVM DAIRY Meal, DOUBLE B 
DAIRY/GHC LAC Mineral, WEST PIONT/GHC CLOSEUP Mineral, WEST POINT/GHC LACT Meal, 
JENKS, J/COMPASS PROTEIN Meal, COPPINI - 8# SPECIAL DAIRY Mix, GULICK, L-LACT 
Meal (Bulk), TRIPLE J - PROTEIN/LACTATION, ROCK CREEK/GHC MILK Mineral, 
BETTENCOURT/GHC S.SIDE MK-MN, BETTENCOURT #1/GHC MILK MINR, V&C DAIRY/GHC 
LACT Meal, VEENSTRA, F/GHC LACT Meal, SMUTNY, A- BYPASS ML W/SMARTA, Recall # 
V-025-2007 
CODE 
The firm does not utilize a code - only shipping documentation with 
commodity and weights identified. 
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER 
Rangen, Inc, Buhl, ID, by letters on February 13 and 14, 2007. Firm 
initiated recall is complete. 
REASON 
Products manufactured from bulk feed containing blood meal that was cross 
contaminated with prohibited meat and bone meal and the labeling did not bear 
cautionary BSE statement. 
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE 
9,997,976 lbs. 
DISTRIBUTION 
ID and NV 
END OF ENFORCEMENT REPORT FOR MARCH 21, 2007 
Sunday, December 15, 2013 
*** FDA PART 589 -- SUBSTANCES PROHIBITED FROM USE IN ANIMAL FOOD OR FEED 
VIOLATIONS OFFICIAL ACTION INDICATED OIA UPDATE DECEMBER 2013 UPDATE ***
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 Maine Firm Recalls Ribeye and Carcass Products 
That May Contain Specified Risk Materials 
Class II Recall 
Health Risk: Low 
August 29, 2014 
MAINE, August 29, 2014 – Bubier Meats, an establishment in Greene, Maine is 
recalling approximately 25,192 pounds of fresh beef products because the dorsal 
root ganglia may not have been completely removed, which is not compliant with 
federal regulations that require their removal in cattle 30 months of age and 
older, the Maine Meat and Poultry Inspection (MMPI) program announced today. 
The products subject to recall include: 
• Quartered beef carcasses that were stamped with the Maine mark of 
inspection and establishment number “EST. 4.” with the following ship dates: 
11/13/13, 11/26/13, 1/2/14, 1/21/14, 2/5/14, 2/19/14, 3/5/14, 3/19/14, 4/2/14, 
4/30/14, 5/12/14, 5/28/14, 6/11/14, 6/25/14, 7/9/14, 7/23/14, 8/6/14, 8/20/14. 
Bubier Meats advises that the quartered carcasses were distributed to Maine 
retail stores, Rosemont Market locations in Portland and Yarmouth, and Maine 
Meat in Kittery Maine, on various dates between November, 2013 and August, 2014. 
All products would have been processed into smaller cuts with no identifying 
consumer packaging. Such smaller cuts may include bone-in ribeye roasts, prime 
rib roasts, T-bone steaks, porterhouse steaks, wing steaks, bone-in ribeye 
steaks, bone-in sirloin steaks and neck bones. 
The problem was discovered by MMPI during a review of company slaughter 
logs. Dorsal root ganglia, branches of the nervous system located in the 
vertebral column are considered specified risk materials (SRMs) and must be 
removed from cattle 30 months of age and older in accordance with federal 
regulations. SRMs are tissues that may contain the infective agent in cattle 
infected with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), as well as materials that 
are closely associated with these potentially infective tissues. Although BSE is 
extremely rare (only 4 US cows have been identified to date) it remains a human 
health concern. Therefore, federal regulations prohibit SRMs from use as human 
food to minimize potential human exposure to the BSE agent. 
Every animal received ante-mortem inspection by MMPI inspection personnel, 
who observed each animal at rest and in motion. All animals appeared healthy 
with no indication that any of the cattle slaughtered displayed any signs of 
BSE. 
MMPI and Bubier Meats have received no reports of adverse reactions due to 
consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact 
a healthcare provider. 
MMPI routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling 
firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make 
certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. 
Consumers and media with questions about the recall should contact 
establishment manager Tobie Bubier at 207-946-5015. 
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual 
representative available 24 hours a day at askkaren.gov (http://www.askkaren.gov/)or via 
smartphone at m.askkaren.gov (http://m.askkaren.gov). “Ask Karen” live chat 
services are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. The 
toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is 
available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
(Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are 
available 24 hours a day. 
> MMPI and Bubier Meats have received no reports of adverse reactions 
due to consumption of these products.
come back and tell us that in about 50 years...*** vCJD can have an 
incubation period of over 30 years. ..TSS
Tuesday, August 19, 2014 
Former Rancho Employees Charged With 11 Felonies processed meat from 101 
condemned cattle, including 79 with “cancer eye'' 
Saturday, June 14, 2014 
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Calls for Briefing on Beef Recalled for Mad Cow 
Potential Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) 
Thursday, June 12, 2014 
Missouri Firm Recalls Ribeye and Carcass Products That May Contain 
Specified Risk Materials 4,012 pounds of fresh beef products because the dorsal 
root ganglia may not have been completely removed 
*** Because typical clinical signs of BSE cannot always be observed in 
nonambulatory disabled cattle, and because evidence has indicated these cattle 
are more likely to have BSE than apparently healthy cattle, FDA is designating 
material from nonambulatory disabled cattle as prohibited cattle materials. 
Friday, March 21, 2014 
Rancho Dead Stock Cancer Downers Recall Explained FSIS March 20 2014 
?
“As of March 20, 2014, FSIS has completed all checks (effectiveness checks 
and disposition verification checks) for recalls 002-2014 and 013-2014 regarding 
Rancho Feeding Corporation. FSIS has determined that based on the number of 
successful checks (see Directive 8080.1, Attachment 1, Table 3) where businesses 
were notified of the recall and removed affected products from commerce that the 
recall activities were effective.”
Thursday, March 20, 2014 
JACK IN THE BOX NOW CAUGHT UP IN MASSIVE RANCHO DEAD STOCK DOWNER CANCER 
COW RECALL 
Thursday, March 6, 2014 
TEXAS RECALL LIST MASSIVE FROM DEAD STOCK DOWNER CANCER COWS OFFAL from 
Class I Recall 002-2014 and 013-2014 Health Risk: High Jan 13, 2014 and Feb 8, 
2014 shipped to Texas, Florida, and Illinois UPDATE FEBRUARY 14, 2014 
Thursday, February 27, 2014 
BEEF, CANCER, PRIONS, AND OTHER DANGEROUS AND DEADLY PATHOGENS, APPARENTLY, 
IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER 
Thursday, November 28, 2013 
Department of Justice Former Suppliers of Beef to National School Lunch 
Program Settle Allegations of Improper Practices and Mistreating Cows 
seems USDA NSLP et al thought that it would be alright, to feed our 
children all across the USA, via the NSLP, DEAD STOCK DOWNER COWS, the most high 
risk cattle for mad cow type disease, and other dangerous pathogens, and they 
did this for 4 years, that was documented, then hid what they did by having a 
recall, one of the largest recalls ever, and they made this recall and masked 
the reason for the recall due to animal abuse (I do not condone animal abuse), 
not for the reason of the potential for these animals to have mad cow BSE type 
disease (or other dangerous and deadly pathogens). these TSE prion disease can 
lay dormant for 5, 10, 20 years, or longer, WHO WILL WATCH OUR CHILDREN FOR THE 
NEXT 5 DECADES FOR CJD ??? 
Saturday, September 21, 2013 
Westland/Hallmark: 2008 Beef Recall A Case Study by The Food Industry 
Center January 2010 THE FLIM-FLAM REPORT 
DID YOUR CHILD CONSUME SOME OF THESE DEAD STOCK DOWNER COWS, THE MOST HIGH 
RISK FOR MAD COW DISEASE ??? this recall was not for the welfare of the animals. 
...tss you can check and see here ; (link now dead, does not work...tss) 
try this link ; 
Sunday, November 13, 2011 
*** California BSE mad cow beef recall, QFC, CJD, and dead stock downer 
livestock 
Thursday, February 13, 2014 
HSUS VS USDA ET AL BAN DOWNER CALVES FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (*veal) and 
potential BSE risk factor there from 
Saturday, November 10, 2012 
Wisconsin Firm Recalls Beef Tongues That May Contain Specified Risk 
Materials Nov 9, 2012 WI Firm Recalls Beef Tongues 
Saturday, July 23, 2011 
CATTLE HEADS WITH TONSILS, BEEF TONGUES, SPINAL CORD, SPECIFIED RISK 
MATERIALS (SRM's) AND PRIONS, AKA MAD COW DISEASE 
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Wisconsin Firm Recalls Beef Tongues That Contain Prohibited Materials SRM 
WASHINGTON, October 17, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Nebraska Firm Recalls Beef Tongues That Contain Prohibited Materials SRM 
WASHINGTON, Oct 15, 2009
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Texas Firm Recalls Cattle Heads That Contain Prohibited Materials
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Missouri Firm Recalls Cattle Heads That Contain Prohibited Materials 
SRMs
Friday, August 8, 2008
Texas Firm Recalls Cattle Heads That Contain Prohibited Materials SRMs 
941,271 pounds with tonsils not completely removed
Saturday, April 5, 2008
SRM MAD COW RECALL 406 THOUSAND POUNDS CATTLE HEADS WITH TONSILS 
KANSAS
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Consumption of beef tongue: Human BSE risk associated with exposure to 
lymphoid tissue in bovine tongue in consideration of new research findings
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Consumption of beef tongue: Human BSE risk associated with exposure to 
lymphoid tissue in bovine tongue in consideration of new research findings
Friday, October 15, 2010
BSE infectivity in the absence of detectable PrPSc accumulation in the 
tongue and nasal mucosa of terminally diseased cattle
SPECIFIED RISK MATERIALS SRMs
MAD COW USDA TSE PRION COVER UP or JUST IGNORANCE, for the record AUGUST 
2014 
Thursday, June 23, 2011 
Experimental H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy characterized by 
plaques and glial- and stellate-type prion protein deposits 
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
4th MAD COW DISEASE U.S.A. CALIFORNIA ATYPICAL L-TYPE BSE 2012
RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS 
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Update, October 31, 2005 
INTRODUCTION The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) held a public meeting on July 25, 2006 in Washington, 
D.C. to present findings from the Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy Update, October 31, 2005 (report and model located on the FSIS 
website: 
Comments on technical aspects of the risk assessment were then submitted to 
FSIS. Comments were received from Food and Water Watch, Food Animal Concerns 
Trust (FACT), Farm Sanctuary, R-CALF USA, Linda A Detwiler, and Terry S. 
Singeltary. This document provides itemized replies to the public comments 
received on the 2005 updated Harvard BSE risk assessment. Please bear the 
following points in mind: 
IN SHORT, AND IN A NUT SHELL ; 
(Adopted by the International Committee of the OIE on 23 May 2006)
11. Information published by the OIE is derived from appropriate 
declarations made by the official Veterinary Services of Member Countries. The 
OIE is not responsible for inaccurate publication of country disease status 
based on inaccurate information or changes in epidemiological status or other 
significant events that were not promptly reported to the Central Bureau, 
IT is of my opinion, that the OIE and the USDA et al, are the soul reason, 
and responsible parties, for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE prion 
diseases, including typical and atypical BSE, typical and atypical Scrapie, and 
all strains of CWD, and human TSE there from, spreading around the globe. 
I have lost all confidence of this organization as a regulatory authority 
on animal disease, and consider it nothing more than a National Trading 
Brokerage for all strains of animal TSE, just to satisfy there commodity. AS i 
said before, OIE should hang up there jock strap now, since it appears they will 
buckle every time a country makes some political hay about trade protocol, 
commodities and futures. IF they are not going to be science based, they should 
do everyone a favor and dissolve there organization. 
JUST because of low documented human body count with nvCJD and the long 
incubation periods, the lack of sound science being replaced by political and 
corporate science in relations with the fact that science has now linked some 
sporadic CJD with atypical BSE and atypical scrapie, and the very real threat of 
CWD being zoonosis, I believed the O.I.E. has failed terribly and again, I call 
for this organization to be dissolved. ... 
Tuesday, July 17, 2012 
O.I.E. BSE, CWD, SCRAPIE, TSE PRION DISEASE Final Report of the 80th 
General Session, 20 - 25 May 2012 
USA CJD TSE PRION UNIT, TEXAS, SURVEILLANCE UPDATE NOVEMBER 2014 
National Prion Disease Saturday, August 14, 2010 BSE 
Case Associated with Prion Protein Gene Mutation (g-h-BSEalabama) and VPSPr 
PRIONPATHY 
Pathology Surveillance Center Cases Examined1 (October 7, 2014) 
***6 Includes 11 cases in which the diagnosis is pending, and 19 
inconclusive cases; 
***7 Includes 12 (11 from 2014) cases with type determination pending in 
which the diagnosis of vCJD has been excluded. 
***The sporadic cases include 2660 cases of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob 
disease (sCJD), 
***50 cases of Variably Protease-Sensitive Prionopathy (VPSPr) 
***and 21 cases of sporadic Fatal Insomnia (sFI). 
CONFIRMED HUMAN BSE AKA MAD COW DISEASE vCJD TEXAS USA 
Monday, June 02, 2014 Confirmed Variant CJD Case in Texas 
SO, 4 months after the fact and still no word on this case. no information 
what so ever. the silence is deafening $$$ 
Monday, November 3, 2014
The prion protein protease sensitivity, stability and seeding activity in 
variably protease sensitive prionopathy brain tissue suggests molecular overlaps 
with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease 
Tuesday, November 04, 2014 
Towards an Age-Dependent Transmission Model of Acquired and Sporadic 
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Thursday, August 12, 2010 
Seven main threats for the future linked to prions 
***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... 
*** 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... 
Sunday, August 09, 2009 
CJD...Straight talk with...James Ironside...and...Terry Singeltary... 2009 
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 
BSE-The Untold Story - joe gibbs and singeltary 1999 – 2009 
Saturday, June 14, 2014 
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Calls for Briefing on Beef Recalled for Mad Cow 
Potential Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) 
Thursday, June 12, 2014 
Missouri Firm Recalls Ribeye and Carcass Products That May Contain 
Specified Risk Materials 4,012 pounds of fresh beef products because the dorsal 
root ganglia may not have been completely removed 
Tuesday, November 04, 2014 
The pathological and molecular but not clinical phenotypes are maintained 
after second passage of experimental atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy 
in cattle 
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD TSE PRION
>>> According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC) and the World Health Organization, there is no evidence CWD can be 
transmitted to humans, but it is still wise to not consume any part of an animal 
that shows signs of CWD. 
NOW, what is the latest on human risk factors to CWD strains ??? 
*** 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 to 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 
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 ; 
***********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 
iatrogenic human CWD as sporadic CJD, 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. *** 
snip...see full text ; 
Thursday, January 2, 2014 
*** CWD TSE Prion in cervids to hTGmice, Heidenhain Variant 
Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease MM1 genotype, and iatrogenic CJD ??? *** 
*** We hypothesize that both BSE prions and CWD prions passaged through 
felines will seed human recPrP more efficiently than BSE or CWD from the 
original hosts, evidence that the new host will dampen the species barrier 
between humans and BSE or CWD. The new host effect is particularly relevant as 
we investigate potential means of trans-species transmission of prion disease. 
Monday, August 8, 2011 
*** Susceptibility of Domestic Cats to CWD Infection *** 
Oral.29: Susceptibility of Domestic Cats to CWD Infection 
Amy Nalls, Nicholas J. Haley, Jeanette Hayes-Klug, Kelly Anderson, Davis M. 
Seelig, Dan S. Bucy, Susan L. Kraft, Edward A. Hoover and Candace K. Mathiason† 
Colorado State University; Fort Collins, CO USA†Presenting author; Email: 
ckm@lamar.colostate.edu 
Domestic and non-domestic cats have been shown to be susceptible to one 
prion disease, feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE), thought to be transmitted 
through consumption of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) contaminated meat. 
Because domestic and free ranging felids scavenge cervid carcasses, including 
those in CWD affected areas, we evaluated the susceptibility of domestic cats to 
CWD infection experimentally. Groups of n = 5 cats each were inoculated either 
intracerebrally (IC) or orally (PO) with CWD deer brain homogenate. Between 
40–43 months following IC inoculation, two cats developed mild but progressive 
symptoms including weight loss, anorexia, polydipsia, patterned motor behaviors 
and ataxia—ultimately mandating euthanasia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on 
the brain of one of these animals (vs. two age-matched controls) performed just 
before euthanasia revealed increased ventricular system volume, more prominent 
sulci, and T2 hyperintensity deep in the white matter of the frontal hemisphere 
and in cortical grey distributed through the brain, likely representing 
inflammation or gliosis. PrPRES and widely distributed peri-neuronal vacuoles 
were demonstrated in the brains of both animals by immunodetection assays. No 
clinical signs of TSE have been detected in the remaining primary passage cats 
after 80 months pi. Feline-adapted CWD was sub-passaged into groups (n=4 or 5) 
of cats by IC, PO, and IP/SQ routes. Currently, at 22 months pi, all five IC 
inoculated cats are demonstrating abnormal behavior including increasing 
aggressiveness, pacing, and hyper responsiveness. 
*** Two of these cats have developed rear limb ataxia. Although the limited 
data from this ongoing study must be considered preliminary, they raise the 
potential for cervid-to-feline transmission in nature. 
AD.63: 
Susceptibility of domestic cats to chronic wasting disease 
Amy V.Nalls,1 Candace Mathiason,1 Davis Seelig,2 Susan Kraft,1 Kevin 
Carnes,1 Kelly Anderson,1 Jeanette Hayes-Klug1 and Edward A. Hoover1 1Colorado 
State University; Fort Collins, CO USA; 2University of Minnesota; Saint Paul, MN 
USA 
Domestic and nondomestic cats have been shown to be susceptible to feline 
spongiform encephalopathy (FSE), almost certainly caused by consumption of 
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-contaminated meat. Because domestic and 
free-ranging nondomestic felids scavenge cervid carcasses, including those in 
areas affected by chronic wasting disease (CWD), we evaluated the susceptibility 
of the domestic cat (Felis catus) to CWD infection experimentally. Cohorts of 5 
cats each were inoculated either intracerebrally (IC) or orally (PO) with 
CWD-infected deer brain. At 40 and 42 mo post-inoculation, two IC-inoculated 
cats developed signs consistent with prion disease, including a stilted gait, 
weight loss, anorexia, polydipsia, patterned motor behaviors, head and tail 
tremors, and ataxia, and progressed to terminal disease within 5 mo. Brains from 
these two cats were pooled and inoculated into cohorts of cats by IC, PO, and 
intraperitoneal and subcutaneous (IP/SC) routes. Upon subpassage, feline-adapted 
CWD (FelCWD) was transmitted to all IC-inoculated cats with a decreased 
incubation period of 23 to 27 mo. FelCWD was detected in the brains of all the 
symptomatic cats by western blotting and immunohistochemistry and abnormalities 
were seen in magnetic resonance imaging, including multifocal T2 fluid 
attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal hyper-intensities, ventricular size 
increases, prominent sulci, and white matter tract cavitation. Currently, 3 of 4 
IP/SQ and 2 of 4 PO inoculared cats have developed abnormal behavior patterns 
consistent with the early stage of feline CWD. 
*** These results demonstrate that CWD can be transmitted and adapted to 
the domestic cat, thus raising the issue of potential cervid-to- feline 
transmission in nature. 
www.landesbioscience.com 
PO-081: Chronic wasting disease in the cat— Similarities to feline 
spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) 
FELINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY FSE 
PRION CONFERENCE 2014 HELD IN ITALY RECENTLY CWD BSE TSE UPDATE 
> First transmission of CWD to transgenic mice over-expressing bovine 
prion protein gene (TgSB3985) 
PRION 2014 - PRIONS: EPIGENETICS and NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES – Shaping 
up the future of prion research 
Animal TSE Workshop 10.40 – 11.05 Talk Dr. L. Cervenakova First 
transmission of CWD to transgenic mice over-expressing bovine prion protein gene 
(TgSB3985) 
P.126: Successful transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) into mice 
over-expressing bovine prion protein (TgSB3985) 
Larisa Cervenakova,1 Christina J Sigurdson,2 Pedro Piccardo,3 Oksana 
Yakovleva,1 Irina Vasilyeva,1 Jorge de Castro,1 Paula Saá,1 and Anton Cervenak1 
1American Red Cross, Holland Laboratory; Rockville, MD USA; 2University of 
California; San Diego, CA USA; 3Lab TSE/OBRR /CBER/FDA; Rockville, MD USA 
Keywords: chronic wasting disease, transmission, transgenic mouse, bovine 
prion protein 
Background. CWD is a disease affecting wild and farmraised cervids in North 
America. Epidemiological studies provide no evidence of CWD transmission to 
humans. Multiple attempts have failed to infect transgenic mice expressing human 
PRNP gene with CWD. The extremely low efficiency of PrPCWD to convert normal 
human PrPC in vitro provides additional evidence that transmission of CWD to 
humans cannot be easily achieved. However, a concern about the risk of CWD 
transmission to humans still exists. This study aimed to establish and 
characterize an experimental model of CWD in TgSB3985 mice with the following 
attempt of transmission to TgHu mice. 
Materials and Methods. TgSB3985 mice and wild-type FVB/ NCrl mice were 
intracranially injected with 1% brain homogenate from a CWD-infected Tga20 mouse 
(CWD/Tga20). TgSB3985 and TgRM (over-expressing human PrP) were similarly 
injected with 5% brain homogenates from CWD-infected white-tailed deer (CWD/WTD) 
or elk (CWD/Elk). Animals were observed for clinical signs of neurological 
disease and were euthanized when moribund. Brains and spleens were removed from 
all mice for PrPCWD detection by Western blotting (WB). A histological analysis 
of brains from selected animals was performed: brains were scored for the 
severity of spongiform change, astrogliosis, and PrPCWD deposition in ten brain 
regions. 
Results. Clinical presentation was consistent with TSE. More than 90% of 
TgSB3985 and wild-type mice infected with CWD/Tga20, tested positive for PrPres 
in the brain but only mice in the latter group carried PrPCWD in their spleens. 
We found evidence for co-existence or divergence of two CWD/ Tga20 strains based 
on biochemical and histological profiles. In TgSB3985 mice infected with CWD-elk 
or CWD-WTD, no animals tested positive for PrPCWD in the brain or in the spleen 
by WB. However, on neuropathological examination we found presence of amyloid 
plaques that stained positive for PrPCWD in three CWD/WTD- and two 
CWD/Elk-infected TgSB3985 mice. The neuropathologic profiles in CWD/WTD- and 
CWD/Elkinfected mice were similar but unique as compared to profiles of BSE, 
BSE-H or CWD/Tg20 agents propagated in TgSB3985 mice. None of CWD-infected TgRM 
mice tested positive for PrPCWD by WB or by immunohistochemical detection. 
Conclusions. To our knowledge, this is the first established experimental 
model of CWD in TgSB3985. We found evidence for co-existence or divergence of 
two CWD strains adapted to Tga20 mice and their replication in TgSB3985 mice. 
Finally, we observed phenotypic differences between cervid-derived CWD and 
CWD/Tg20 strains upon propagation in TgSB3985 mice. Further studies are underway 
to characterize these strains.
PRION 2014 CONFERENCE 
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD 
A FEW FINDINGS ; 
Conclusions. To our knowledge, this is the first established experimental 
model of CWD in TgSB3985. We found evidence for co-existence or divergence of 
two CWD strains adapted to Tga20 mice and their replication in TgSB3985 mice. 
Finally, we observed phenotypic differences between cervid-derived CWD and 
CWD/Tg20 strains upon propagation in TgSB3985 mice. Further studies are underway 
to characterize these strains. 
We conclude that TSE infectivity is likely to survive burial for long time 
periods with minimal loss of infectivity and limited movement from the original 
burial site. However PMCA results have shown that there is the potential for 
rainwater to elute TSE related material from soil which could lead to the 
contamination of a wider area. These experiments reinforce the importance of 
risk assessment when disposing of TSE risk materials. 
The results show that even highly diluted PrPSc can bind efficiently to 
polypropylene, stainless steel, glass, wood and stone and propagate the 
conversion of normal prion protein. For in vivo experiments, hamsters were ic 
injected with implants incubated in 1% 263K-infected brain homogenate. Hamsters, 
inoculated with 263K-contaminated implants of all groups, developed typical 
signs of prion disease, whereas control animals inoculated with non-contaminated 
materials did not. 
Our data establish that meadow voles are permissive to CWD via peripheral 
exposure route, suggesting they could serve as an environmental reservoir for 
CWD. Additionally, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that at least two 
strains of CWD circulate in naturally-infected cervid populations and provide 
evidence that meadow voles are a useful tool for CWD strain typing. 
Conclusion. CWD prions are shed in saliva and urine of infected deer as 
early as 3 months post infection and throughout the subsequent >1.5 year 
course of infection. In current work we are examining the relationship of 
prionemia to excretion and the impact of excreted prion binding to surfaces and 
particulates in the environment. 
Conclusion. CWD prions (as inferred by prion seeding activity by RT-QuIC) 
are shed in urine of infected deer as early as 6 months post inoculation and 
throughout the subsequent disease course. Further studies are in progress 
refining the real-time urinary prion assay sensitivity and we are examining more 
closely the excretion time frame, magnitude, and sample variables in 
relationship to inoculation route and prionemia in naturally and experimentally 
CWD-infected cervids. 
Conclusions. Our results suggested that the odds of infection for CWD is 
likely controlled by areas that congregate deer thus increasing direct 
transmission (deer-to-deer interactions) or indirect transmission 
(deer-to-environment) by sharing or depositing infectious prion proteins in 
these preferred habitats. Epidemiology of CWD in the eastern U.S. is likely 
controlled by separate factors than found in the Midwestern and endemic areas 
for CWD and can assist in performing more efficient surveillance efforts for the 
region. 
Conclusions. During the pre-symptomatic stage of CWD infection and 
throughout the course of disease deer may be shedding multiple LD50 doses per 
day in their saliva. CWD prion shedding through saliva and excreta may account 
for the unprecedented spread of this prion disease in nature. 
P.28: Modeling prion species barriers and the new host effect using RT-QuIC 
Kristen A Davenport, Davin M Henderson, Candace K Mathiason, and Edward A 
Hoover Prion Research Center; Colorado State University; Fort Collins, CO USA 
The propensity for trans-species prion transmission is related to the 
structural characteristics of the enciphering and heterologous PrP, but the 
exact mechanism remains mostly mysterious. 
Studies of the effects of primary or tertiary prion protein 
www.landesbioscience.com Prion 37 structures on trans-species prion transmission 
have relied upon animal bioassays, making the influence of prion protein 
structure vs. host co-factors (e.g. cellular constituents, trafficking, and 
innate immune interactions) difficult to dissect. 
As an alternative strategy, we are using real-time quaking-induced 
conversion (RT-QuIC) to investigate the propensity for and the kinetics of 
trans-species prion conversion. RT-QuIC has the advantage of providing more 
defined conditions of seeded conversion to study the specific role of native 
PrP:PrPRES interactions as a component of the species barrier. 
We are comparing chronic wasting disease (CWD) and bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy (BSE) prions by seeding each prion into its native host recPrP 
(full-length bovine recPrP, or white tail deer recPrP) vs. into the heterologous 
species. Upon establishing the characteristics of intra-species and 
inter-species prion seeding for CWD and BSE prions, we will evaluate the seeding 
kinetics and cross-species seeding efficiencies of BSE and CWD passaged into a 
common new host—feline—shown to be a permissive host for both CWD and BSE. 
*** We hypothesize that both BSE prions and CWD prions passaged through 
felines will seed human recPrP more efficiently than BSE or CWD from the 
original hosts, evidence that the new host will dampen the species barrier 
between humans and BSE or CWD. The new host effect is particularly relevant as 
we investigate potential means of trans-species transmission of prion disease. 
Tuesday, November 04, 2014 
Six-year follow-up of a point-source exposure to CWD contaminated venison 
in an Upstate New York community: risk behaviours and health outcomes 2005–2011 
Sunday, August 24, 2014 
USAHA 117TH ANNUAL MEETING USDA-APHIS–VS CWD Herd Certification Program 
Goals TSE PRION October 17 – 23, 2013
SCRAPIE TSE PRION DISEASE 
*** OIE GROUP RECOMMENDS THAT SCRAPE PRION DISEASE BE DELISTED, WISHES TO 
CONTINUE SPREADING IT AROUND THE GLOBE 
Monday, November 30, 2009 
*** USDA AND OIE COLLABORATE TO EXCLUDE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE NOR-98 ANIMAL 
HEALTH CODE, DOES NOT SURPRISE ME $
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 
Thursday, December 23, 2010 
Molecular Typing of Protease-Resistant Prion Protein in Transmissible 
Spongiform Encephalopathies of Small Ruminants, France, 2002-2009 
Volume 17, Number 1 January 2011 
Thursday, November 18, 2010 
Increased susceptibility of human-PrP transgenic mice to bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy following passage in sheep 
Monday, April 25, 2011 
Experimental Oral Transmission of Atypical Scrapie to Sheep 
Volume 17, Number 5-May 2011 
Friday, February 11, 2011 
Atypical/Nor98 Scrapie Infectivity in Sheep Peripheral Tissues 
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 
*** Canada 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.
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. 
P.5.21 Parallels between different forms of sheep scrapie and types of 
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) 
Wiebke M. Wemheuer1, Sylvie L. Benestad2, Arne Wrede1, Wilhelm E. 
Wemheuer3, Tatjana Pfander1, Bjørn Bratberg2, Bertram Brenig3,Walter J. 
Schulz-Schaeffer1 1University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany; 2Institute of 
Veterinary Medicine Oslo, Norway; 3Institute of Veterinary Medicine Goettingen, 
Germany 
Background: Scrapie in sheep and goats is often regarded as the archetype 
of prion diseases. In 1998, a new form of scrapie - atypical/Nor98 scrapie - was 
described that differed from classical scrapie in terms of epidemiology, Western 
blot profile, the distribution of pathological prion protein (PrPSc) in the body 
and its stability against proteinase K. In a similar way, distinct disease types 
exist in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). They differ with regard to 
their clinical outcome, Western blot profile and PrPSc deposition pattern in the 
central nervous system (CNS). Objectives: The comparison of PrPSc deposits in 
sheep scrapie and human sporadic CJD. 
Methods: Tissues of the CNS of sheep with classical scrapie, sheep with 
atypical/Nor98 scrapie and 20 patients with sporadic CJD were examined using the 
sensitive Paraffin Embedded Tissue (PET) blot method. The results were compared 
with those obtained by immunohistochemistry. With the objective of gaining 
information on the protein conformation, the PrPSc of classical and 
atypical/Nor98 sheep scrapie and sporadic CJD was tested for its stability 
against denaturation with guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) using a Membrane 
Adsorption Assay. 
Results: The PrPSc of atypical/Nor98 scrapie cases and of CJD prion type 1 
patients exhibits a mainly reticular/synaptic deposition pattern in the brain 
and is relatively sensitive to denaturation with GdnHCl. In contrast classical 
scrapie cases and CJD prion type 2 patients have a more complex PrPSc deposition 
pattern in common that consists of larger PrPSc aggregates and the PrPSc itself 
is comparatively stable against denaturation. 
Discussion: The similarity between CJD types and scrapie types indicates 
that at least two comparable forms of the misfolded prion protein exist beyond 
species barriers and can elicit prion diseases. It seems therefore reasonable to 
classify classical and atypical/Nor98 scrapie - in analogy to the existing CJD 
types - as different scrapie types. 
What if you can catch old-fashioned CJD by eating meat from a sheep 
infected with scrapie?
28 Mar 01
Like lambs to the slaughter 31 March 2001 by Debora MacKenzie Magazine 
issue 2284. Subscribe and get 4 free issues. FOUR years ago, Terry Singeltary 
watched his mother die horribly from a degenerative brain disease. Doctors told 
him it was Alzheimer's, but Singeltary was suspicious. The diagnosis didn't fit 
her violent symptoms, and he demanded an autopsy. It showed she had died of 
sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Most doctors believe that sCJD is caused by a prion protein deforming by 
chance into a killer. But Singeltary thinks otherwise. He is one of a number of 
campaigners who say that some sCJD, like the variant CJD related to BSE, is 
caused by eating meat from infected animals. Their suspicions have focused on 
sheep carrying scrapie, a BSE-like disease that is widespread in flocks across 
Europe and North America.
Now scientists in France have stumbled across new evidence that adds weight 
to the campaigners' fears. To their complete surprise, the researchers found 
that one strain of scrapie causes the same brain damage in mice as sCJD.
"This means we cannot rule out that at least some sCJD may be caused by 
some strains of scrapie," says team member Jean-Philippe Deslys of the French 
Atomic Energy Commission's medical research laboratory in Fontenay-aux-Roses, 
south-west of Paris. Hans Kretschmar of the University of Göttingen, who 
coordinates CJD surveillance in Germany, is so concerned by the findings that he 
now wants to trawl back through past sCJD cases to see if any might have been 
caused by eating infected mutton or lamb.
Scrapie has been around for centuries and until now there has been no 
evidence that it poses a risk to human health. But if the French finding means 
that scrapie can cause sCJD in people, countries around the world may have 
overlooked a CJD crisis to rival that caused by BSE.
Deslys and colleagues were originally studying vCJD, not sCJD. They 
injected the brains of macaque monkeys with brain from BSE cattle, and from 
French and British vCJD patients. The brain damage and clinical symptoms in the 
monkeys were the same for all three. Mice injected with the original sets of 
brain tissue or with infected monkey brain also developed the same 
symptoms.
As a control experiment, the team also injected mice with brain tissue from 
people and animals with other prion diseases: a French case of sCJD; a French 
patient who caught sCJD from human-derived growth hormone; sheep with a French 
strain of scrapie; and mice carrying a prion derived from an American scrapie 
strain. As expected, they all affected the brain in a different way from BSE and 
vCJD. But while the American strain of scrapie caused different damage from 
sCJD, the French strain produced exactly the same pathology.
"The main evidence that scrapie does not affect humans has been 
epidemiology," says Moira Bruce of the neuropathogenesis unit of the Institute 
for Animal Health in Edinburgh, who was a member of the same team as Deslys. 
"You see about the same incidence of the disease everywhere, whether or not 
there are many sheep, and in countries such as New Zealand with no scrapie." In 
the only previous comparisons of sCJD and scrapie in mice, Bruce found they were 
dissimilar.
But there are more than 20 strains of scrapie, and six of sCJD. "You would 
not necessarily see a relationship between the two with epidemiology if only 
some strains affect only some people," says Deslys. Bruce is cautious about the 
mouse results, but agrees they require further investigation. Other trials of 
scrapie and sCJD in mice, she says, are in progress.
People can have three different genetic variations of the human prion 
protein, and each type of protein can fold up two different ways. Kretschmar has 
found that these six combinations correspond to six clinical types of sCJD: each 
type of normal prion produces a particular pathology when it spontaneously 
deforms to produce sCJD.
But if these proteins deform because of infection with a disease-causing 
prion, the relationship between pathology and prion type should be different, as 
it is in vCJD. "If we look at brain samples from sporadic CJD cases and find 
some that do not fit the pattern," says Kretschmar, "that could mean they were 
caused by infection."
There are 250 deaths per year from sCJD in the US, and a similar incidence 
elsewhere. Singeltary and other US activists think that some of these people 
died after eating contaminated meat or "nutritional" pills containing dried 
animal brain. Governments will have a hard time facing activists like Singeltary 
if it turns out that some sCJD isn't as spontaneous as doctors have 
insisted.
Deslys's work on macaques also provides further proof that the human 
disease vCJD is caused by BSE. And the experiments showed that vCJD is much more 
virulent to primates than BSE, even when injected into the bloodstream rather 
than the brain. This, says Deslys, means that there is an even bigger risk than 
we thought that vCJD can be passed from one patient to another through 
contaminated blood transfusions and surgical instruments.
Monday, December 1, 2008 
When Atypical Scrapie cross species barriers 
 Dietary Risk Factors for Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A 
Confirmatory Case-Control Study 
Conclusions—The a priori hypotheses were supported. 
*Consumption of various meat products may be one method of transmission of 
the infectious agent for sCJD.
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 
Self-Propagative 
Replication of Ab Oligomers Suggests Potential Transmissibility in Alzheimer 
Disease
Received July 24, 2014; Accepted September 16, 2014; Published November 3, 
2014
Singeltary comment ;
Mom DOD 12/14/97
Heidenhain Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease Case Report 
snip... 
Heidenhain Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease autopsy case report 'MOM' 
DIVISION OF NEUROPATHOLOGY University of Texas Medical Branch 114 
McCullough Bldg. Galveston, Texas 77555-0785 
FAX COVER SHEET DATE: 4-23-98 
TO: Mr. Terry Singeltary @ ------- 
FROM: Gerald Campbell FAX: (409) 772-5315 PHONE: (409) 772-2881 Number of 
Pages (including cover sheet): Message: 
*CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE* T
his document accompanying this transmission contains confidential 
information belonging to the sender that is legally privileged. This information 
is intended only for the use of the individual or entry names above. If you are 
not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying 
distribution, or the taking of any action in reliances on the contents of this 
telefaxed information is strictly prohibited. If you received this telefax in 
error, please notify us by telephone immediately to arrange for return of the 
original documents. 
-------------------------- 
Patient Account: 90000014-518 Med. Rec. No.: (0160)118511Q Patient Name: 
POULTER, BARBARA Age: 63 YRS DOB: 10/17/34 Sex: F Admitting Race: C Attending 
Dr.: Date / Time Admitted : 12/14/97 1228 Copies to: UTMB University of Texas 
Medical Branch Galveston, Texas 77555-0543 (409) 772-1238 Fax (409) 772-5683 
Pathology Report 
FINAL AUTOPSY 
DIAGNOSIS Autopsy' Office (409)772-2858 
Autopsy NO.: AU-97-00435 AUTOPSY INFORMATION: Occupation: Unknown 
Birthplace: Unknown Residence: Crystal Beach Date/Time of Death: 12/14/97 13:30 
Date/Time of Autopsy: 12/15/97 15:00 Pathologist/Resident: Pencil/Fernandez 
Service: 
Private 
Restriction: Brain only 
FINAL AUTOPSY DIAGNOSIS I. Brain: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Heidenhain 
variant. 
snip...see full text ; 
TSS

 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.