U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Virus and Prion Research: Ames, IA
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area Ames, Iowa National Animal Disease Center Virus and Prion Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Kehrli Jr, Marcusitem
                                            O'Rourke, Katherineitem
                                            Hamir, Amiraliitem
                                            Richt, Juergenitem
                                            Nicholson, Ericitem
                                            Silva, Christopher

                                                         - *Chris*item
                                            EDELMAN, DANIEL - FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATitem
                                            Gay, Cyril
  Submitted to: Government Publication/Report
                                    Publication Type: Government Publication
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2007
                                    Publication  Date: 7/1/2007
                                    Citation: Kehrli, Jr., M.E., O'Rourke, K.I., Hamir, A.N., Richt, J.A., Nicholson, E.M., Silva, C.J., Edelman, D., Gay, C.G. 2007. Pathobiology and diagnosis of animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: current knowledge, research gaps, and opportunities [government white paper]. Beltsville, MD: Interagency Working Group on Prion Science, Subcommittee on Pathobiology and Diagnostics. USDA, Agriculture Research Service. 33 p.Interpretive Summary:
                                Technical Abstract: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurologic diseases that can affect several animal species and human beings.  There are four animal TSE agents found in the United States: scrapie of sheep and goats; chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer, elk, and moose; transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).  Although the animal TSEs do not cause major death losses among US livestock populations, they are important because of international trade issues.  The experience of the United Kingdom and Europe in dealing with the vast majority of the world's BSE cases, serves as a reminder of the need for continuing vigilance in monitoring risks for public health and research to answer remaining questions around the pathogenesis and transmission of these diseases.  There remain questions on 1) cross-species transmissibility of TSEs in livestock and wildlife; 2) the pathobiology of TSEs in natural and secondary hosts; pathogenesis and transmission of CWD; and 4) pathogenesis and ante mortem detection of typical and atypical BSE.  Our understanding of the pathogenesis and transmission of these diseases continues to evolve as ongoing, global TSE research efforts focus on defining tissue sites of abnormal prion accumulation, routes of infection, methods of strain differentiation, genetics of susceptibility and ante-mortem diagnostics.  In this paper, a Subcommittee on Pathobiology and Diagnostics of TSEs for an Interagency Working Group on Prion Science summarizes the science of animal TSEs in order to identify knowledge gaps for the purpose of prioritizing animal prion research needs.  Because of substantial losses involving international trade and potential risk for interspecies transmission to susceptible livestock and possibly humans, the presence of BSE, CWD, scrapie and TME in the United States presents a liability to U.S. domestic and alternative livestock industries.  In addition, the proven risk of BSE to agriculture and public health from subclinical or clinically sick animals requires science-based surveillance for any silent, unrecognized epizootic expansions of these diseases in populations of animals that could either directly or indirectly affect food animals. CWD is an example of an uncontrolled expanding epidemic that threatens not only cervids but possibly other livestock.  CWD also has elicited public health surveillance programs to monitor for scientific evidence of a prion disease in humans that consume venison.  Therefore, some of the research needs are precautionary, but the risks to animal and human health from being caught unaware are high.  Efforts are being made by both federal and state regulatory agencies to eradicate scrapie and CWD, and to determine the prevalence of BSE.  The effectiveness of these programs will depend heavily on having accurate information about the nature of these diseases, not only in the original hosts, but also in other species that may be in contact with infected animals.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov