Clinical signs, histopathology and genetics of experimental transmission of BSE and natural scrapie to sheep and goats

Vet Rec. 2001 Feb 10;148(6):165-71. doi: 10.1136/vr.148.6.165.

Abstract

This paper compares the dinical signs, histopathology, detection of PrPSc protein and PrP genetics of the transmission of BSE to sheep and goats, with the effects of the transmission of natural scrapie from a brain homogenate from a single sheep. After intracerebral and oral inoculations there were similarities in the clinical signs due to the two sources of infection, but there were differences in pathology at the end stage of disease and in the genotypes of the sheep which succumbed to the challenges. The incubation period of BSE was associated with the sheep PrP codon 171 genotype, but the natural scrapie source, despite inducing disease only in known susceptible genotypes, showed no clear association with PrP genotype.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Brain / pathology
  • Cattle
  • Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / genetics*
  • Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / pathology*
  • Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / transmission
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Goat Diseases / genetics*
  • Goat Diseases / pathology*
  • Goat Diseases / transmission
  • Goats
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • PrPSc Proteins / genetics*
  • Prions / genetics*
  • Scrapie / genetics*
  • Scrapie / pathology*
  • Scrapie / transmission
  • Sheep
  • Sheep Diseases / genetics*
  • Sheep Diseases / pathology*
  • Sheep Diseases / transmission

Substances

  • PrPSc Proteins
  • Prions