Prion forensics: a multidisciplinary approach to investigate CWD at an illegal deer carcass disposal site

Marc D Schwabenlander; Jason C Bartz; Michelle Carstensen; Alberto Fameli; Linda Glaser; Roxanne J Larsen; Manci Li; Rachel L Shoemaker; Gage Rowden; Suzanne Stone; W David Walter; Tiffany M Wolf; Peter A Larsen

doi:10.1080/19336896.2024.2343298

Prion forensics: a multidisciplinary approach to investigate CWD at an illegal deer carcass disposal site

Prion. 2024 Dec;18(1):72-86. doi: 10.1080/19336896.2024.2343298. Epub 2024 Apr 26.

Authors

Marc D Schwabenlander^{1

2}, Jason C Bartz^{3

2}, Michelle Carstensen⁴, Alberto Fameli⁵, Linda Glaser⁶, Roxanne J Larsen^{1

2}, Manci Li^{1

2}, Rachel L Shoemaker^{1

2}, Gage Rowden^{1

2}, Suzanne Stone^{1

2}, W David Walter⁷, Tiffany M Wolf^{8

2}, Peter A Larsen^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
² Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
³ Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
⁴ Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
⁵ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Health Program, Forest Lake, MN, USA.
⁶ Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
⁷ Minnesota Board of Animal Health, Farmed Cervidae Program, St. Paul, MN, USA.
⁸ U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.

Abstract

Infectious prions are resistant to degradation and remain infectious in the environment for several years. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in cervids inhabiting North America, the Nordic countries, and South Korea. CWD-prion spread is partially attributed to carcass transport and disposal. We employed a forensic approach to investigate an illegal carcass dump site connected with a CWD-positive herd. We integrated anatomic, genetic, and prion amplification methods to discover CWD-positive remains from six white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and, using microsatellite markers, confirmed a portion originated from the CWD-infected herd. This approach provides a foundation for future studies of carcass prion transmission risk.

Keywords: Cervid; chronic wasting disease; ecology; environment; genetics; transmission.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Deer*
Microsatellite Repeats / genetics
Prions* / genetics
Prions* / metabolism
Wasting Disease, Chronic* / transmission

Substances

Prions

Grants and funding

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).