Detection and quantification of chronic wasting disease prions

• Author / Creator

  Ness, Anthony

• Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a neurodegenerative prion disease of cervids, is geographically spreading across North America and Northern Europe. Wild cervids are infected by CWD disproportionately by species and sex. The precise mechanisms and animal behaviours that contribute to the patterns in CWD prevalence are poorly understood. CWD prions are shed from preclinically and clinically infected animals in body fluids, excretions, and from carcasses. Shed
  CWD prions contaminate the environment – providing a source for indirect disease transmission. Deer have a variety of skin scent glands used for social communication could be exposed to- or shed prions. Involvement of these skin glands was hypothesized to be involved in CWD transmission and was investigated. Cellular prion protein presence in six skin glands and two other exocrine gland-containing tissues of mule deer and white-tailed deer were surveyed and quantified. The presence of cellular prion protein expression within glandular structures suggests that the tissues may be capable of replicating infectious prions. Disease-associated CWD prions were identified within interdigital glands in the feet of mule deer. CWD prions were observed in or near glandular structures of the interdigital glands, as well as within soil found in the hoof of
  an infected mule deer. The results suggest that prions may be secreted from the feet of infected deer. Cervid behaviours that could contribute to CWD transmission are reviewed. CWD prions entering the environment contaminate soils and surfaces for years. A method was developed to detect and quantify adsorbed prion inactivation by anti-prion compounds – with a focus on humic substances. Insights into the use of humic substances for the inactivation of prions is discussed.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Prion diseases
  • Prions--Identification and analysis

• Graduation date

  Spring 2023

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-51k2-b629

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.