Editor-in-Chief:
Jeremiah T. Saliki, Athens Diagnostic Laboratory, UGA, Athens, GA 30602 (2009)
Kenneth S. Latimer, Covance Laboratories Inc., Vienna, VA 22182 (2010)
Holly M. Musgrove, Athens Diagnostic Laboratory, UGA, Athens, GA 30602
Kyoung-Jin Yoon (Ames, IA; 2010)
IN REPLY to the following studies published ;
Research Project: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: the Role of
Genetics, Strain Variation, and Environmental Contamination in Disease Control
Location: Animal Diseases Research
Title: Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
Authors
Mitchell, G - Orourke, Katherine Harrington, N - Soutyrine, A - Simmons, M - Dudas, S - Zhuang, Dongyue Laude, H - Balachandran, A -
Submitted to: Canadian Veterinary Journal Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: December 3, 2009 Publication Date: May 1, 2010 Citation: Mitchell, G.B., Orourke, K.I., Harrington, N.P., Soutyrine, A., Simmons, M.M., Dudas, S., Zhuang, D., Laude, H., Balachandran, A. 2010. Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep. Canadian Veterinary Journal. 22(3):402-408.
Interpretive Summary: Scrapie is a fatal brain disease of sheep, occurring in most sheep producing areas of the world. The disease occurs as a classical form, infectious within a flock and largely associated with particular forms of the prion gene, and an atypical form, usually found in older animals and often with no clinical signs of disease. There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie Intense eradication efforts in Europe and North America include random testing of clinically normal animals collected at slaughter facilities and testing of sheep dying of unknown causes on farms. The Canadian National Scrapie Surveillance program, through the national and international (Office of International Epizootics) reference laboratory in Ottawa, has identified three cases of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep. These sheep had genetic, biochemical and histologic profiles similar to those observed in the United States, European, and British cases of Nor98. The finding of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep was not unexpected and demonstrates the value of the current surveillance program in identifying both classical and atypical scrapie. Coordination of the testing programs in Canada and the U.S. allows both governments to gather comparable data on the nature and extent of Nor98 in sheep flocks in North America and develop harmonized control programs.
Technical Abstract: Scrapie, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and goats, exists in most small ruminant producing countries of the world. An atypical form of this disease, originally termed Nor98, was discovered in large abattoir surveillance of clinically normal, predominantly older sheep and rarely in clinical suspects. Nor98 is presumptively diagnosed by the unconventional findings in enzyme linked immunosorbent and immunohistochemistry assays of the abnormal prion protein in the brain and lymph nodes. Nor98 is usually differentiated from classical scrapie by Western blot analysis and the unique biochemical profile following passage in transgenic mice carrying the ovine prion gene. The Canadian National Scrapie Surveillance Program was initiated in 2005 and involves the active testing of sheep over 12 months of age which are slaughtered at federal and provincial abattoirs, or are identified as fallen stock from rendering companies, sales barns, cull ewe feedlots or farms. This report describes the first three cases of atypical scrapie detected in Canadian sheep. Two of the animals were older than 5 years of age and apparently clinically normal prior to sampling. Two of the sheep carried a polymorphism at codon 141 frequently associated with atypical scrapie and one sheep had a genotype relatively resistant to classical scrapie. Enhanced scrapie surveillance efforts have identified three cases of atypical scrapie in Canada. The classical form of scrapie has been extensively studied, with surveillance and breeding programs currently aimed at reducing disease prevalence. The existence of atypical scrapie in the Canadian sheep flock is not unexpected and additional cases will undoubtedly arise during continued scrapie surveillance efforts. Rapid identification and differentiation of these cases is necessary to understand the national prevalence of atypical scrapie and complement the Canadian initiative to control classical scrapie.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=245110
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation Vol. 22 Issue 3, 408-411 Copyright © 2010 by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians This Article
Articles by Mitchell, G. B. Articles by Balachandran, A.
PubMed Citation Articles by Mitchell, G. B. Articles by Balachandran, A.
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Brief Research Reports
Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
http://jvdi.org/cgi/content/abstract/22/3/408?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=prion&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=22&issue=3&resourcetype=HWCIT
>>> There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie <<<>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:962575216785367::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,81729
Research article
The natural atypical scrapie phenotype is preserved on experimental transmission and sub-passage in PRNP homologous sheep
Marion M Simmons1 , Timm Konold1 , Lisa Thurston1 , Susan J Bellworthy1 , Melanie J Chaplin2 and S Jo Moore1
1 Department of Pathology, Veterinary Laboratories Agency Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK
2 Molecular Pathogenesis and Genetics Department, Veterinary Laboratories Agency Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK
author email corresponding author email
BMC Veterinary Research 2010, 6:14doi:10.1186/1746-6148-6-14
The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/6/14
Received: 26 October 2009 Accepted: 10 March 2010 Published: 10 March 2010
© 2010 Simmons et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract Background Atypical scrapie was first identified in Norwegian sheep in 1998 and has subsequently been identified in many countries. Retrospective studies have identified cases predating the initial identification of this form of scrapie, and epidemiological studies have indicated that it does not conform to the behaviour of an infectious disease, giving rise to the hypothesis that it represents spontaneous disease.
However, atypical scrapie isolates have been shown to be infectious experimentally, through intracerebral inoculation in transgenic mice and sheep. The first successful challenge of a sheep with 'field' atypical scrapie from an homologous donor sheep was reported in 2007.
Results This study demonstrates that atypical scrapie has distinct clinical, pathological and biochemical characteristics which are maintained on transmission and sub-passage, and which are distinct from other strains of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in the same host genotype.
Conclusions Atypical scrapie is consistently transmissible within AHQ homozygous sheep, and the disease phenotype is preserved on sub-passage.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/6/14
PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE ;
This position has been accepted by the OIE and the Animal Health Code Article 14.9.1 states “The chapter does not cover so-called ‘atypical’ scrapie which is clinically, pathologically, biochemically and epidemiologically unrelated to ‘classical’ scrapie, may not be contagious and may, in fact, be a spontaneous degenerative condition of older sheep.” This position has been supported by the scientific panel on biological hazards of the European Food Safety Authority 3.
snip...
Recent studies have shown experimental transmission of atypical scrapie in sheep and laboratory animals (Simmons et al 2007) but there is as yet no evidence to confirm that transmission can occur naturally in the field. Another recent paper by Espinosa et al (Espinosa, Herva, 2009) has shown that atypical scrapie can be transmitted with low efficiency to genetically engineered mice over expressing the porcine prion protein. They concluded there was a marked species transmission barrier. Further the agent appeared to undergo a strain phenotype shift upon transmission to the transgenic mice. This is the first report of this occurring.
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/pests/atypical-scrapie/literature-review.pdf
• Most critical is that atypical scrapie shows higher prevalence in so-called resistant ARR homozygote and heterozygote genotypes, compared with classical scrapie. • Atypical scrapie has not been found naturally in VRQ/VRQ sheep, although such sheep can be infected artificially. VRQ sheep are, in contrast, highly susceptible to classical scrapie. In the UK, one case of atypical scrapie has been found in VRQ heterozygote (AF141RQ/VRQ) sheep. It is important to ascertain whether or not VRQ-carrying sheep are significantly resistant to infection with atypical scrapie or whether the data might result from a failure to detect PrPres in atypical scrapie due to a different pattern of PrP distribution in tissues. • Increased incidence of atypical scrapie in sheep with PrP alleles carrying the variant phenylalanine (F) at position 141 (leucine(L)/phenylalanine) has also been observed compared with classical scrapie. • It will be important to clarify the genotype effect, particularly in relation to ARR and L141F in transmission studies. • In classical scrapie, there is clear evidence for a PrP genotype effect on tissue distribution patterns of PrPres. This might also be true for atypical scrapie although the data are less complete. 4. Transmission of atypical scrapie It has recently18 been demonstrated that atypical scrapie is experimentally transmissible to mice and sheep, primarily through intracerebral injection. There are some data suggesting that it may also be transmissible orally to sheep of different genotypes. The subgroup noted that challenge experiments with atypical scrapie in sheep were underway in the UK, with one successful intracerebral challenge to date. The subgroup was informed that positive transmission of infectivity from atypical scrapie isolated from sheep with a range of genotypes had been observed in mice. This included ovinised transgenic mice overexpressing the VRQ allele. Nor98 atypical scrapie had also transmitted to ARR ovinised mice, with transmission experiments in AF141RQ ovinised mice planned. Biochemical features of the isolates were maintained after transmission, and were distinct from BSE and classical scrapie. High infectivity titres were observed in brain tissue from atypical scrapie, including from ARR/ARR sheep. Brain transmission experiments in mice carrying the human PrP gene were at an early stage. 18 Le Dur A., Béringue V., Andréoletti O., Reine F., Laï T.H., Baron T., Bratberg B., Vilotte J.- L., Sarradin P., Benestad S.L. and Laude H.(2005) A newly identified type of scrapie agent can naturally infect sheep with resistant PrP genotypes. PNAS 102, 16031-16036
http://www.seac.gov.uk/pdf/positionstatement-sheep-subgroup.pdf
A newly identified type of scrapie agent can naturally infect sheep with resistant PrP genotypes
Annick Le Dur*,†, Vincent Béringue*,†, Olivier Andréoletti‡, Fabienne Reine*, Thanh Lan Laï*, Thierry Baron§, Bjørn Bratberg¶, Jean-Luc Vilotte?, Pierre Sarradin**, Sylvie L. Benestad¶, and Hubert Laude*,†† + Author Affiliations
*Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires and ?Génétique Biochimique et Cytogénétique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; ‡Unité Mixte de Recherche, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Interactions Hôte Agent Pathogène, 31066 Toulouse, France; §Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments, Unité Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, 69364 Lyon, France; **Pathologie Infectieuse et Immunologie, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 37380 Nouzilly, France; and ¶Department of Pathology, National Veterinary Institute, 0033 Oslo, Norway Edited by Stanley B. Prusiner, University of California, San Francisco, CA (received for review March 21, 2005)
Next Section Abstract Scrapie in small ruminants belongs to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, a family of fatal neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and animals and can transmit within and between species by ingestion or inoculation. Conversion of the host-encoded prion protein (PrP), normal cellular PrP (PrPc), into a misfolded form, abnormal PrP (PrPSc), plays a key role in TSE transmission and pathogenesis. The intensified surveillance of scrapie in the European Union, together with the improvement of PrPSc detection techniques, has led to the discovery of a growing number of so-called atypical scrapie cases. These include clinical Nor98 cases first identified in Norwegian sheep on the basis of unusual pathological and PrPSc molecular features and “cases” that produced discordant responses in the rapid tests currently applied to the large-scale random screening of slaughtered or fallen animals. Worryingly, a substantial proportion of such cases involved sheep with PrP genotypes known until now to confer natural resistance to conventional scrapie. Here we report that both Nor98 and discordant cases, including three sheep homozygous for the resistant PrPARR allele (A136R154R171), efficiently transmitted the disease to transgenic mice expressing ovine PrP, and that they shared unique biological and biochemical features upon propagation in mice. These observations support the view that a truly infectious TSE agent, unrecognized until recently, infects sheep and goat flocks and may have important implications in terms of scrapie control and public health.
SNIP...
Our study demonstrates that an authentic TSE infectious agent is responsible in sheep and goats of sporadic atypical infections that remained unnoticed until recently. This raises important issues with regard to control of scrapie infection in small ruminants. Of major concern, ARR/ARR sheep can no longer be regarded as free of natural TSE infection. This finding challenges, at least to some extent, the foundation of the selective breeding programs engaged in several European Union member states (47, 48) and may call for a reappraisal of possible consequences of this strategy in the long term. Finally, more information about this newly discovered type of TSE agent, its prevalence in countries free of scrapie or BSE disease, and its potential to across-species transmission would be needed for a comprehensive evaluation of its implications in terms of public health.
http://www.pnas.org/content/102/44/16031.long
http://www.pnas.org/content/102/44/16031.figures-only
SNIP...
SEE FULL TEXT ;
Monday, November 23, 2009
A case of atypical scrapie/Nor98 in a sheep from New Zealand
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2009/11/case-of-atypical-scrapienor98-in-sheep.html
If the scrapie agent is generated from ovine DNA and thence causes disease in other species, then perhaps, bearing in mind the possible role of scrapie in CJD of humans (Davinpour et al, 1985), scrapie and not BSE should be the notifiable disease. ...
http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20090505194948/http://bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/06/08004001.pdf
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
http://web.archive.org/web/20010305223125/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1976/10/12004001.pdf
snip...
please see full text ;
Sunday, April 18, 2010
SCRAPIE AND ATYPICAL SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION STUDIES A REVIEW 2010
http://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2010/04/scrapie-and-atypical-scrapie.html
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Nor-98 atypical Scrapie, atypical BSE, spontaneous TSE, trade policy, sound science ?
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2010/03/nor-98-atypical-scrapie-atypical-bse.html
position: Post Doctoral Fellow Atypical BSE in Cattle
Closing date: December 24, 2009
Anticipated start date: January/February 2010
Employer: Canadian and OIE Reference Laboratories for BSE CFIA Lethbridge Laboratory, Lethbridge/Alberta
The Canadian and OIE reference laboratories for BSE are extensively involved in prion diseases diagnosis and research. With a recent increase in research activities and funding, the laboratory is looking to fill two post doctoral fellow positions. Both positions will be located at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Lethbridge Laboratory which offers biosaftey level 3 (BSL3) and BSL2 laboratory space and is well equipped for molecular and morphologic prion research. The facility also has a BSL3 large animal housing wing and a state of the art post mortem room certified for prion work. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to visit other laboratories to cooperate in various aspects of the projects and to be trained in new techniques and acquire new skills. With a recent increase in prion disease expertise and research in Alberta and Canada, these positions will offer significant exposure to cutting edge prion science via videoconferencing, meetings, workshops and conferences. These interactions will also provide a valuable opportunity to present research findings and discuss potential future work opportunities and collaborations with other Canadian and international research groups.
Atypical BSE in Cattle
BSE has been linked to the human disease variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD). The known exposure pathways for humans contracting vCJD are through the consumption of beef and beef products contaminated by the BSE agent and through blood transfusions. However, recent scientific evidence suggests that the BSE agent may play a role in the development of other forms of human prion diseases as well. These studies suggest that classical type of BSE may cause type 2 sporadic CJD and that H-type atypical BSE is connected with a familial form of CJD.
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.
This study will contribute to a correct definition of specified risk material (SRM) in atypical BSE. The incumbent of this position will develop new and transfer existing, ultra-sensitive methods for the detection of atypical BSE in tissue of experimentally infected cattle.
Responsibilities include:
Driving research at the National and OIE BSE reference lab to ensure project milestones are met successfully. Contributing to the preparation of project progress reports. Directing technical staff working on the project. Communicating and discussing results, progress and future direction with project principle investigator(s). Communicating with collaborative project partners. Qualifications:
Successful completion of a PhD degree in an area focusing on or related to prion diseases. Extensive experience with molecular and/or morphologic techniques used in studying prion diseases and/or other protein misfolding disorders. Ability to think independently and contribute new ideas. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet challenges in a timely manner. Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Word, PowerPoint and Excel. How to apply:
Please send your application and/or inquiry to: Dr. Stefanie Czub, DVM, Ph.D. Head, National and OIE BSE Reference Laboratory Canadian Food Inspection Agency Lethbridge Laboratory P.O. Box 640, Township Road 9-1 Lethbridge, AB, T1J 3Z4 Canada
phone: +1-403-382-5500 +1-403-382-5500 ext. 5549 email:
stefanie.czub@inspection.gc.ca
Contact Info:
http://www.prionetcanada.ca/detail.aspx?menu=5&dt=293380&app=93&cat1=387&tp=20&lk=no&cat2
P26 TRANSMISSION OF ATYPICAL BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE) IN HUMANIZED MOUSE MODELS
Liuting Qing1, Fusong Chen1, Michael Payne1, Wenquan Zou1, Cristina Casalone2, Martin Groschup3, Miroslaw Polak4, Maria Caramelli2, Pierluigi Gambetti1, Juergen Richt5*, and Qingzhong Kong1 1Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; 2CEA, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale, Italy; 3Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Germany; 4National Veterinary Research Institute, Poland; 5Kansas State University, Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology Department, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. *Previous address: USDA National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA 50010, USA
Classical BSE is a world-wide prion disease in cattle, and the classical BSE strain (BSE-C) has led to over 200 cases of clinical human infection (variant CJD). Two atypical BSE strains, BSE-L (also named BASE) and BSE-H, have been discovered in three continents since 2004. The first case of naturally occurring BSE with mutated bovine PrP gene (termed BSE-M) was also found in 2006 in the USA. The transmissibility and phenotypes of these atypical BSE strains/isolates in humans were unknown. We have inoculated humanized transgenic mice with classical and atypical BSE strains (BSE-C, BSE-L, BSE-H) and the BSE-M isolate. We have found that the atypical BSE-L strain is much more virulent than the classical BSE-C. The atypical BSE-H strain is also transmissible in the humanized transgenic mice with distinct phenotype, but no transmission has been observed for the BSE-M isolate so far.
III International Symposium on THE NEW PRION BIOLOGY: BASIC SCIENCE, DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY 2 - 4 APRIL 2009, VENEZIA (ITALY)
http://www.istitutoveneto.it/prion_09/Abstracts_09.pdf
Monday, November 23, 2009
BSE GBR RISK ASSESSMENTS UPDATE NOVEMBER 23, 2009 COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND O.I.E.
http://docket-aphis-2006-0041.blogspot.com/2009/11/bse-gbr-risk-assessments-update.html
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
NAIS MAD COW TRACEABILITY DUMPED BY USDA APHIS 2010
http://naiscoolyes.blogspot.com/2010/02/nais-mad-cow-traceability-dumped-by.html
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,
http://www.oie.int/eng/Session2007/RF2006.pdf
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Molecular, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics of BSE in Canada
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2010/05/molecular-biochemical-and-genetic.html
THE OIE has now shown they are nothing more than a National Trading Brokerage for all strains of animal TSE. 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.
...snip
IT'S as obvious as day and night, either Larry, Curley, and Mo have been at the helm of the USDA/APHIS/FSIS/FDA/CDC/NIH et al for many many years, or the incompetence of these agencies are so inept, either through ignorance and or just too overweight with industry reps., they then should be all done away with and a single agency brought forth, and if not, how will you correct this ongoing problem ?
Thank you, I am sincerely disgusted,
Terry S. Singeltary Sr. P.O. Box 42 Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
...snip
full text ;
Sunday, February 14, 2010
[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
http://bseusa.blogspot.com/2010/02/docket-no-fsis-2006-0011-fsis-harvard.html
PLEASE SEE FULL TEXT 98 PAGES HERE ;
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/2006-0011/2006-0011-1.pdf
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Proof Committee Hansard
http://docket-aphis-2006-0041.blogspot.com/2010/03/commonwealth-of-australia-hansard.html
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America 14th
ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2010/02/transmissible-spongiform-encephalopathy.html
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/
England worried briefly about infecting other countries
http://www.mad-cow.org/00/aug00_last_news.html#fff
spontaneous TSE, fact or fiction $$$
Agriculture & Natural Resources Research & Extension Centers Sierra Foothill Research & Extension Center (University of California, Davis) Year 2004 Paper bse prevention update BSE Prevention Update: Comparing France and California John Maas School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis
Does BSE occur spontaneously in cattle? The message that BSE occurs spontaneously in cattle has been repeated in the media several times. Where does this idea come from? There is a disease in humans called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) which does occur spontaneously. It occurs at a rate of about 1-2 people per million population per year, worldwide. This is the so-called spontaneous CJD. Some have extrapolated this information to the cattle population, saying that BSE occurs spontaneously in cattle just as spontaneous CJD occurs in humans. Therefore, if we have about 100 million cattle in the U.S., we have 100-200 cases of BSE each year. This assumption is the basis for the argument that we should be testing every slaughtered animal for BSE. There is no basis in fact for this assumption, however. To the contrary, there is ample evidence that BSE is not occurring spontaneously. For example, we have been able to detect cattle diseases with public health significance that occurs at a much lower rate than 1 per million and one such disease is rabies. The diagnosis of rabies is dependent on a thorough examination of the brain of the animal. BSE diagnosis is also dependent on the complete examination and testing of the animal’s brain. In California, cattle rabies is detected every year or so and almost every case is associated with significant human exposure. If we were unable to detect this central nervous system disease (rabies) one or more fatal cases of rabies in humans would occur. The fact is, we are able to routinely diagnose rabies and the same experts are more than capable of diagnosing BSE. Every veterinary diagnostic laboratory in every state is actively looking for BSE and has been since 1986. We are not missing the diagnosis of BSE in cattle in the U.S. Those who are publicly concerned about spontaneous BSE in cattle and who advocate testing all slaughtered cattle are not at all concerned about beef products imported into the U.S. If BSE does spontaneously occur, it must do so world wide, thus imported beef products would carry the same or greater risk. We must insist on using the science as our guide in making policy regarding BSE.
SNIP...
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7kw4m8d5
Science 24 September 2004: Vol. 305. no. 5692, pp. 1918 - 1921 DOI: 10.1126/science.1103581
Perspectives BIOMEDICINE:
A Fresh Look at BSE
Bruce Chesebro*
snip...
BSE caused by spontaneous misfolding of the prion protein has not been proven.
snip...
What can we conclude so far about BSE in North America? Is the BSE detected in two North American cows sporadic or spontaneous or both? "Sporadic" pertains to the rarity of disease occurrence. "Spontaneous" pertains to a possible mechanism of origin of the disease. These are not equivalent terms. The rarity of BSE in North America qualifies it as a sporadic disease, but this low incidence does not provide information about cause. For the two reported North American BSE cases, exposure to contaminated MBM remains the most likely culprit. However, other mechanisms are still possible, including cross-infection by sheep with scrapie or cervids with CWD, horizontal transmission from cattle with endemic BSE, and spontaneous disease in individual cattle. Based on our understanding of other TSEs, the spontaneous mechanism is probably the least likely. Thus, "idiopathic" BSE--that is, BSE of unknown etiology--might be a better term to describe the origin of this malady.
snip...
References
S. B. Prusiner, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 95, 13363 (1998) [Medline]. P. G. Smith, R. Bradley, Br. Med. Bull. 66, 185 (2003) [Medline]. C. Weissmann, A. Aguzzi, Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 7, 695 (1997) [Medline]. A. F. Hill et al., J. Gen. Virol. 80, 11 (1999) [Medline]. R. Chiesa et al., J. Virol. 77, 7611 (2003) [Medline]. G. Legname et al., Science 305, 673 (2004). D. Westaway et al., Cell 76, 117 (1994) [Medline]. B. Chesebro, Science 279, 42 (1998). A. G. Biacabe et al., EMBO Rep. 5, 110 (2004) [Medline]. Y. Yamakawa et al., Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. 56, 221 (2003) [Medline]. C. Casalone et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 3065 (2004) [Medline]. E. F. Houston et al., J. Gen. Virol. 83, 1247 (2002) [Medline].
Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases Bruce W. Chesebro, M.D., Chief The Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases (LPVD) is concerned with studies of persistent active or latent viral or prion disease infections. Investigators place particular emphasis on persistent infections of the nervous system and of the hemopoietic and lymphoid systems. The laboratory is also studying the roles of persistent infection in the development of retrovirus-induced immunosuppression. Models being examined include prion diseases of various species, murine and human retroviruses, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/305/5692/1918
Genetic mutation, genetic predisposition and sporadic BSE Theoretically, it is possible that BARBs cases result not from “infection” but rather from sporadic genetic mutations (“sporadic BSE”) or genetic predisposition to infection. Wilesmith et al (2003) suggest that the incidence of BARBs is too high to be compatible with a genetic mutation. The difference in incidence between dairy animals and animals reared in beef suckler herds is not consistent with a genetically based origin as all breeds appear to be susceptible to BSE. Also many countries with higher cattle populations have not reported BSE cases and in addition, the observation of (two sets of) two BARB cases in the same herd presents a strong argument against spontaneous mutation, at least for these cases.
http://www.seac.gov.uk/papers/seac80_4.pdf
US beef industry leaders say scientists should not speculate about the unusual case.
"There's no evidence that it's atypical ... and there's absolutely no evidence that it's spontaneous," said Gary Weber, head of regulatory affairs at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
http://www.agobservatory.org/headlines.cfm?refID=73207
Prions: Protein Aggregation and Infectious Diseases ADRIANO AGUZZI AND ANNA MARIA CALELLA Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
3. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Approximately 85% of all human prion diseases are sporadic forms of CJD. For sCJD, there is no association with a mutant PRNP allele, nor is there any epidemiological evidence for exposure to a TSE agent through contact with people or animals infected with TSEs. sCJD cases are currently subclassified according to the methionine/valine polymorphism at codon 129 of the PRNP gene and the size and glycoform ratio of proteaseresistant prion protein identified on western blot (type 1 or type 2) (174). Heterozygosity (Met/Val) at PrP codon 129 appears to be associated with a lower risk (378) and/or prolonged incubation time (119, 387). The lack of routine laboratory testing for preclinical diagnosis makes the search for agent sources and other risk factors extremely difficult. At present, the means of acquisition of a TSE agent in these patients remains a mystery. So far, there is no evidence for spontaneous PrPSc formation in any animal or human TSE. In humans, the peak age incidence of sporadic CJD is 55–60 years. However, if spontaneous misfolding were the primary event, one might expect a continuously increasing incidence with age because more time would allow more opportunity for rare misfolding events.
Physiol Rev • VOL 89 • OCTOBER 2009 • http://www.prv.org/
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
NOR-98 ATYPICAL SCRAPIE USA 4 CASES DETECTED JANUARY 2010
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2010/03/nor-98-atypical-scrapie-usa-4-cases.html
SNIP...END...TSS
2ND UPDATE JUNE 16, 2009
----- Original Message -----
From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
To: BSE-L@LISTS.AEGEE.ORG
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 11:23 AM
Subject: Re: [BSE-L] Research Project: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
Greetings again Dr. Saliki et al,
Thank you for your kind reply.
Dr. Saliki states ;
"Your main concern appears to be te statement "There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie". However, a closer look at the article we published in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation (JVDI) found no such sentence in the article. On the contrary, the authors [appropriately] discussed in the second paragraph of page 411 the question of transmissibility of atypical scrapie. If the sentence that troubles you was published somewhere, the JVDI has no responsibility or accountability for that."
end...TSS
Greetings again Dr. Saliki et al,
This is very disturbing to me.
IF you see the article published on the ARS research site referencing the same study at JVDI, it plainly states ;
Submitted to: Canadian Veterinary Journal Publication
Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 3, 2009 Publication Date: May 1, 2010
Citation: Mitchell, G.B., Orourke, K.I., Harrington, N.P., Soutyrine, A., Simmons, M.M., Dudas, S., Zhuang, D., Laude, H., Balachandran, A. 2010.
Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep.
Canadian Veterinary Journal. 22(3):402-408.
Interpretive Summary:
> There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=245110
THIS is the exact same study below, with the exact same authors ;
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation Vol. 22 Issue 3, 408-411
Copyright © 2010 by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians
Articles by Mitchell, G. B. Articles by Balachandran, A.
Brief Research Reports
Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
Gordon B. Mitchell, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Noel P. Harrington, Andrei Soutyrine, Marion M. Simmons, Sandor Dudas, Dongyue Zhuang, Hubert Laude and Aru Balachandran1, Correspondence: 1Corresponding Author: Aru Balachandran, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory–Fallowfield, 3851 Fallowfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2H 8P9. Aru.Balachandran@inspection.gc.ca
Reports
Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep Gordon B. Mitchell, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Noel P. Harrington, Andrei Soutyrine, Marion M. Simmons, Sandor Dudas, Dongyue Zhuang, Hubert Laude and Aru Balachandran1, Correspondence: 1Corresponding Author: Aru Balachandran, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory–Fallowfield, 3851 Fallowfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2H 8P9. Aru.Balachandran@inspection.gc.ca
Scrapie, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and goats, exists in most small ruminant-producing countries of the world. A novel form of this disease was recently recognized and is known by various names, including Nor98, Nor98-like, and atypical scrapie. Differing from classic scrapie in epidemiology, histopathology, and biochemical characteristics, atypical scrapie cases have been identified throughout Europe and in the United States. Enhanced scrapie surveillance efforts recently identified 3 cases of atypical scrapie in Canada.
Key Words: Atypical • Nor98 • prion • scrapie • sheep • transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
http://jvdi.org/cgi/content/abstract/22/3/408?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=prion&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=22&issue=3&resourcetype=HWCIT
BUT yet, in the same study that was published by JVDI, with the same authors (references above), it does not state this, and I was aware of this in the short abstract, but I _assumed_ that the ARS research was not capable of changing what a peer review journal study said, and apparently I was wrong about that. One would think (hope), one would have thought, that the ARS was not capable of changing what the study said or it's interpretation there from, and that is exactly what happened. IT now seems that this sentence was added to this study by the ARS research on the ARS page referencing the exact same study in JVDI.
> There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie
THIS is the only interpretation of this 'incomprehensible' TSE prion mess I can understand as a lay person. From day one politics have trumped science, and science has been changed to fit the political agenda, as was proven again here with this study "Research Project: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep." Scientific findings were manipulated once again, as they have been in the past with other scientific findings and research papers. The Governments around the globe do not want, cannot have, Scrapie of any kind transmitting to anything, especially the atypical Scrapie, because they have already decided and made legal, without any scientific evidence, atypical Scrapie should not, cannot, and by God will not transmit to livestock or humans. IN fact they were so sure, they changed the OIE TSE guidelines, and made atypical Scrapie a legal trading commodity, before any scientific transmission studies said it was o.k. IN fact, if someone would just look at transmission studies to date on typical and atypical scrapie, there is more scientific evidence showing that indeed these TSE will transmit to different species, including man. SO, I can see why the ARS research et al would add something like the following statement to your study, their life, and many others depend on it.
IN fact, you can see where this sentence was added into this ARS research paper referencing your study, because there was no (period) where the sentence ended, and where the period was suppose to be, the next sentence starts "Intense eradication efforts" with a capital letter. SO, you can see the following sentence was a late add on ;
> There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie
and the science of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy was once again a culprit of manipulation, fraud, and fabrication.
Dr. Saliki states that ;
> If the sentence that troubles you was published somewhere, the JVDI has no responsibility or accountability for that."
I kindly disagree Sir. THE way the ARS research interpretation and reference of this study in JVDI was referenced with the added sentence that was not part of the study on the ARS site ;
> There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie
LED me to believe that the above statement was in the full text pdf of the original study at JVDI, and I personally believe that JVDI was well aware of it. I could be wrong on that. I will have to take you word on it.
HOWEVER, now that this has been brought to your attention, whether or not JVDI knew about it or not, I think it JVDI's and you Sir, I think it your duty to call ARS on this, and have the sentence "There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie" _removed_ from the ARS research paper referencing JVDI study on Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep, with a reference of correction and explaination as how this happened by ARS research.
IF not, this should bring into serious question the credibility of JVDI as a peer review journal, and to the ARS research team and all their scientific work.
please see ARS research and reference in question to this study at JVDI ;
Research Project: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: the Role of Genetics, Strain Variation, and Environmental Contamination in Disease Control Location: Animal Diseases Research
Title: Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
Authors
Mitchell, G - Orourke, Katherine Harrington, N - Soutyrine, A - Simmons, M - Dudas, S - Zhuang, Dongyue Laude, H - Balachandran, A -
Submitted to: Canadian Veterinary Journal Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: December 3, 2009 Publication Date: May 1, 2010 Citation: Mitchell, G.B., Orourke, K.I., Harrington, N.P., Soutyrine, A., Simmons, M.M., Dudas, S., Zhuang, D., Laude, H., Balachandran, A. 2010. Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep. Canadian Veterinary Journal. 22(3):402-408.
Interpretive Summary: Scrapie is a fatal brain disease of sheep, occurring in most sheep producing areas of the world. The disease occurs as a classical form, infectious within a flock and largely associated with particular forms of the prion gene, and an atypical form, usually found in older animals and often with no clinical signs of disease. There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie Intense eradication efforts in Europe and North America include random testing of clinically normal animals collected at slaughter facilities and testing of sheep dying of unknown causes on farms. The Canadian National Scrapie Surveillance program, through the national and international (Office of International Epizootics) reference laboratory in Ottawa, has identified three cases of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep. These sheep had genetic, biochemical and histologic profiles similar to those observed in the United States, European, and British cases of Nor98. The finding of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep was not unexpected and demonstrates the value of the current surveillance program in identifying both classical and atypical scrapie. Coordination of the testing programs in Canada and the U.S. allows both governments to gather comparable data on the nature and extent of Nor98 in sheep flocks in North America and develop harmonized control programs.
Technical Abstract: Scrapie, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and goats, exists in most small ruminant producing countries of the world. An atypical form of this disease, originally termed Nor98, was discovered in large abattoir surveillance of clinically normal, predominantly older sheep and rarely in clinical suspects. Nor98 is presumptively diagnosed by the unconventional findings in enzyme linked immunosorbent and immunohistochemistry assays of the abnormal prion protein in the brain and lymph nodes. Nor98 is usually differentiated from classical scrapie by Western blot analysis and the unique biochemical profile following passage in transgenic mice carrying the ovine prion gene. The Canadian National Scrapie Surveillance Program was initiated in 2005 and involves the active testing of sheep over 12 months of age which are slaughtered at federal and provincial abattoirs, or are identified as fallen stock from rendering companies, sales barns, cull ewe feedlots or farms. This report describes the first three cases of atypical scrapie detected in Canadian sheep. Two of the animals were older than 5 years of age and apparently clinically normal prior to sampling. Two of the sheep carried a polymorphism at codon 141 frequently associated with atypical scrapie and one sheep had a genotype relatively resistant to classical scrapie. Enhanced scrapie surveillance efforts have identified three cases of atypical scrapie in Canada. The classical form of scrapie has been extensively studied, with surveillance and breeding programs currently aimed at reducing disease prevalence. The existence of atypical scrapie in the Canadian sheep flock is not unexpected and additional cases will undoubtedly arise during continued scrapie surveillance efforts. Rapid identification and differentiation of these cases is necessary to understand the national prevalence of atypical scrapie and complement the Canadian initiative to control classical scrapie.
Project Team
Orourke, Katherine Knowles, Donald - Don White, Stephen Schneider, David
Publications
Publications
Related National Programs
Animal Health (103)
Related Projects
Development of Sensitive in Vitro Techniques for Prion Detection Transgenic Analysis of Chronic Wasting Disease Strains Strain Typing of Chronic Wasting Disease (Cwd) and Scrapie by Intracerebral Inoculation into Transgenic and Inbred Mouse Lines Dissemination of Abnormal Prion Protein in the Neural and Extraneural Tissues of Wild Rocky Mountain Elk
Last Modified: 06/15/2010
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=245110
Something should be corrected somewhere, by someone, because the statement "There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie" is not correct. ...
Thank You,
With Kindest Regards,
I am sincerely,
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
flounder9@verizon.net
P.S. a look how TSE science and research have been manipulated in the past ;
BSE SCIENTIST WAS 'CENSORED'
He says that when he worked at MAFF, ''the way it was structurally set up was not that science would drive the politics, but that the politics will drive the science. And that's wrong.''
http://web.archive.org/web/20030526121511/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1997/12/11001001.pdf
Richard Horton Waffles on Lancet's Wakefield Retraction
Sally Beck Posted: February 12, 2010 03:00 PM
The Lancet has officially retracted a study which sparked a health scare over the MMR vaccine. The leading British medical journal said that it accepts that claims made by Dr. Andrew Wakefield and two fellow researchers were 'false.'
SNIP...
The paper was peer reviewed and duly published back in early 1998. The researchers included a line stating that eight of the parents felt the MMR vaccine had played a part in their children's decline. Horton knew this was controversial but published anyway. He said: "We felt it was important not to censor the information. We had censored information regarding BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as mad cow disease) and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of BSE). We knew there was a risk that BSE could be transferred from cows to humans, but at the time we thought the risk was small so we didn't include the information. It was a big mistake and we should have published it."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sally-beck/richard-horton-waffles-on_b_460550.html
8. I was in receipt of no extra funds beyond those provided by the NHS and the University of London to run my laboratories and pay my salary as a senior lecturer/honorary Consultant and I suffered no constraints over my publications, lectures to my students, or statements to the media. However, I became increasingly aware after 1988 that questioning official dogma about BSE brought difficulties to one’s career. I was myself about to retire from the Charing Cross Hospital, where I worked as a Consultant Neuropathologist, but I observed with horror that the good reputations of dissenting scientists in the field, not least Dr Stephen Dealler and especially Dr Harash Narang were systematically undermined.
http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080102135133/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/ws/s410.pdf
THEY KNEW 2 DECADES AGO the damn BSE mad cow testing were not finding cases ;
BSE-NON-CONFIRMATION OF DISEASE
3. A question posed by Mr Whaley (para 2) is that classical lesions of BSE may not occur in all cases. Supposing we had a strain variant that produced it's lesions in the cerebrum these would not be detected by our current method. I think this would be unlikely but not impossible - another reason why at least a proportion of complete brains (or blocks) should be retained during the epidemic so if the problem Mr Whaley indicates escalates, it can be investigated.
snip...
5. IF you had the information what benefit would there be ? what would you do with it ?
CONCLUSION
I do not recommend any action. The situation should be accepted. I do not think the VIS can do more at present. The situation should be kept under review particularly if there is an escalation in numbers in this category.
R BRADLEY
15 MAY 1990
90/5.15/3.2
http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20090505194948/http://bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/05/15003001.pdf
http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20090505194948/http://bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/05/15003001.pdf
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SEAC NEW RESULTS ON IDIOPATHIC BRAINSTEM NEURONAL CHROMATOLYSIS (IBNC) FROM THE VETERINARY LABORATORIES AGENCY (VLA) SEAC 103/1
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/11/seac-new-results-on-idiopathic.html
NEW RESULTS ON IDIOPATHIC BRAINSTEM NEURONAL CHROMATOLYSIS "All of the 15 cattle tested showed that the brains had abnormally accumulated PrP" 2009
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/02/new-results-on-idiopathic-brainstem.html
AND THE USDA ET AL KNEW IT TOO ;
""These 9,200 cases were different because brain tissue samples were preserved with formalin, which makes them suitable for only one type of test--immunohistochemistry, or IHC."
THIS WAS DONE FOR A REASON!
THE IHC test has been proven to be the LEAST LIKELY to detect BSE/TSE in the bovine, and these were probably from the most high risk cattle pool, the ones the USDA et al, SHOULD have been testing. ...TSS
USDA 2003
We have to be careful that we don't get so set in the way we do things that we forget to look for different emerging variations of disease. We've gotten away from collecting the whole brain in our systems. We're using the brain stem and we're looking in only one area. In Norway, they were doing a project and looking at cases of Scrapie, and they found this where they did not find lesions or PRP in the area of the obex. They found it in the cerebellum and the cerebrum. It's a good lesson for us. Ames had to go back and change the procedure for looking at Scrapie samples. In the USDA, we had routinely looked at all the sections of the brain, and then we got away from it. They've recently gone back. Dr. Keller: Tissues are routinely tested, based on which tissue provides an 'official' test result as recognized by APHIS.
Dr. Detwiler: That's on the slaughter. But on the clinical cases, aren't they still asking for the brain? But even on the slaughter, they're looking only at the brainstem. We may be missing certain things if we confine ourselves to one area.
snip.............
Dr. Detwiler: It seems a good idea, but I'm not aware of it. Another important thing to get across to the public is that the negatives do not guarantee absence of infectivity. The animal could be early in the disease and the incubation period. Even sample collection is so important. If you're not collecting the right area of the brain in sheep, or if collecting lymphoreticular tissue, and you don't get a good biopsy, you could miss the area with the PRP in it and come up with a negative test. There's a new, unusual form of Scrapie that's been detected in Norway. We have to be careful that we don't get so set in the way we do things that we forget to look for different emerging variations of disease. We've gotten away from collecting the whole brain in our systems. We're using the brain stem and we're looking in only one area. In Norway, they were doing a project and looking at cases of Scrapie, and they found this where they did not find lesions or PRP in the area of the obex. They found it in the cerebellum and the cerebrum. It's a good lesson for us. Ames had to go back and change the procedure for looking at Scrapie samples. In the USDA, we had routinely looked at all the sections of the brain, and then we got away from it. They've recently gone back.
Dr. Keller: Tissues are routinely tested, based on which tissue provides an 'official' test result as recognized by APHIS .
Dr. Detwiler: That's on the slaughter. But on the clinical cases, aren't they still asking for the brain? But even on the slaughter, they're looking only at the brainstem. We may be missing certain things if we confine ourselves to one area.
snip...
FULL TEXT;
Completely Edited Version PRION ROUNDTABLE
Accomplished this day, Wednesday, December 11, 2003, Denver, Colorado
END...TSS
Suppressed peer review of Harvard study October 31, 2002.
October 31, 2002 Review of the Evaluation of the Potential for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United States Conducted by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, Harvard School of Public Health and Center for Computational Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University Final Report Prepared for U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service Office of Public Health and Science Prepared by RTI Health, Social, and Economics Research Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 RTI Project Number 07182.024
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/topics/BSE_Peer_Review.pdf
Sunday, February 14, 2010
[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
http://bseusa.blogspot.com/2010/02/docket-no-fsis-2006-0011-fsis-harvard.html
PLEASE SEE FULL TEXT 98 PAGES HERE ;
[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/2006-0011/2006-0011-1.pdf
Response to Public Comments on the Harvard Risk Assessment of 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: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Risk_Assessments/index.asp). 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:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/BSE_Risk_Assess_Response_Public_Comments.pdf
another question, just how long have these atypical BSE TSEs been around in the bovine ???
let's look at another case of atypical BSE in Germany way back in 1992 ;
Subject: atypical BSE reported in 1992 and conviently slaughterd and incinerated and then swept under rug for about 12 years Date: April 26, 2007 at 1:08 pm PST 1992
NEW BRAIN DISORDER
3. WHAT ABOUT REPORTS OF NEW FORM OF BSE?
THE VETERINARY RECORD HAS PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ON A NEW BRAIN DISORDER OF CATTLE DISCOVERED THROUGH OUR CONTROL MEASURES FOR BSE. ALTHOUGH IT PRESENTS SIMILAR CLINICAL SIGNS TO BSE THERE ARE MAJOR DIFFERENCES IN THE HISTOPATHOLOGY AND INCUBATION PERIODS BETWEEN THE TWO. MUST EMPHASISE THAT THIS IS NOT BSE.
4. IS THIS NEW BRAIN DISORDER A THREAT?
WE DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHETHER THE AGENT OF THIS DISEASE IS TRANSMISSIBLE. IN ANY CASE, CASES SO FAR IDENTIFIED HAD SHOWN SIMILAR SYMPTOMS TO THOSE OF BSE, AND THEREFORE HAVE BEEN SLAUGHTERED AND INCINERATED, SO THAT IF A TRANSMISSIBLE AGENT WERE INVOLVED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. .......
http://web.archive.org/web/20030714222309/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/10/26001001.pdf
2. The Collinge/Will dispute appears to rumble on. Dr. Collinge had told Dr. Tyrrell that Dr. Will's response to his criticism about sharing material had been ''quite unacceptable'' (in spite of it's apparently conciliatory tone). Apparently Professor Allen was now going to try and arrange a meeting to resolve the dispute. No action here for MAFF, although Mr. Murray may be interested.
3. Dr. Tyrrell regretted that the Committee had not seen the article on BBD. However he felt that for the time being NO specific action was called for. The most important need was to consider the possibility that the condition might be transmissible. As we have discussed, I suggested that we might circulate a paper to the members of the committee giving our appreciation of this condition (and perhaps of other non-BSE neurological conditions that had been identified in negative cases) and of any necessary follow up action. IF any Committee member felt strongly about this, or if the issue CAME TO A HEAD, we would call an interim meeting. He was happy with this approach. I would be grateful if Mr. Maslin could, in discussion with CVL and veterinary colleagues draft such a note, which will presumably very largely follow what Mr. Bradley's briefing paper has already said, taking account of DOH comments, We can then clear a final version with DOH before circulating it to Committee members.
http://web.archive.org/web/20030714222309/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/10/29005001.pdf
IN CONFIDENCE
This is a highly competitive field and it really will be a pity if we allow many of the key findings to be published by overseas groups while we are unable to pursue our research findings because of this disagreement, which I hope we can make every effort to solve.
http://web.archive.org/web/20030714222309/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/10/26002001.pdf
COLLINGE THREATENS TO GO TO MEDIA
http://web.archive.org/web/20030714222309/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1992/12/16005001.pdf
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Mad Cow Disease typical and atypical strains, was there a cover-up ? August 20, 2008
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2008/08/bovine-spongiform-encephalopathy-mad.html
sporadic cjd in farmers and farmers wives with BSE mad cow herds
http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.blogspot.com/2008/06/novel-human-disease-with-abnormal-prion.html
end...TSS
----- Original Message -----
From: Jerry Saliki
To: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
Cc: Dongyue.Zhuang@ARS.USDA.GOV ; Katherine.ORourke@ARS.USDA.GOV ; Aru.Balachandran@inspection.gc.ca ; editorial@jvdi.org ; jsaliki@jvdi.org ; cjdvoice@yahoogroups.com ; editor1@uga.edu
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 3:43 PM
Subject: RE: Research Project: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
Dear Mr. Singeltary:
Thank you for the "condensed" version of your concerns. Your main concern appears to be te statement "There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie". However, a closer look at the article we published in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation (JVDI) found no such sentence in the article. On the contrary, the authors [appropriately] discussed in the second paragraph of page 411 the question of transmissibility of atypical scrapie. If the sentence that troubles you was published somewhere, the JVDI has no responsibility or accountability for that. If there is anything else in the published article that you wish to comment on, you may formulate your comment in the form of a 1-2-paragraph letter to the editor.
Sincerely,
Jeremiah T. Saliki, DVM, PhD, DACVM
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
Website: http://jvdi.org
SNIP...END...TSS
1ST UPDATE JUNE 11, 2010
----- Original Message -----
From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
To: Jerry Saliki
Cc: Dongyue.Zhuang@ARS.USDA.GOV ; Katherine.ORourke@ARS.USDA.GOV ; Aru.Balachandran@inspection.gc.ca ; editorial@jvdi.org ; jsaliki@jvdi.org ; subscription@jvdi.org ; cjdvoice@yahoogroups.com ; BSE-L@LISTS.AEGEE.ORG ; editor1@uga.edu
Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: Research Project: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
Greetings Dr. Saliki et al at JVDI and ARS et al,
I apologize for being so 'incomprehensible' in my comments to JVDI about the study recently published in JVDI and at the ARS site titled "Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep".
Dr. Saliki JVDI stated ;
" I request that you condense your concerns into a paragraph or a series of bullet points, for further consideration. I would also like to inform you that articles published in the Journal of Veterinray Diagnostic Investigation are peer-reviewed by individuals with expertise in the various fields."
end
Thank you very much Sir for allowing me to comment for consideration at JVDI. I just thought your journal would want to know when something published might be in question. please see my condensed comment to this study next, and sources to follow. I hope you find this more comprehensible. ...
Thank You,
With Kindest Regards,
Terry
condensed version as follows ;
Greetings Dr. Saliki and JVDI et al,
In reply to ;
Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
http://jvdi.org/cgi/content/abstract/22/3/408?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=prion&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=22&issue=3&resourcetype=HWCIT
Research Project: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: the Role of Genetics, Strain Variation, and Environmental Contamination in Disease Control Location: Animal Diseases Research
Title: Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
Authors
Mitchell, G - Orourke, Katherine Harrington, N - Soutyrine, A - Simmons, M - Dudas, S - Zhuang, Dongyue Laude, H - Balachandran, A -
Submitted to: Canadian Veterinary Journal Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: December 3, 2009 Publication Date: May 1, 2010 Citation: Mitchell, G.B., Orourke, K.I., Harrington, N.P., Soutyrine, A., Simmons, M.M., Dudas, S., Zhuang, D., Laude, H., Balachandran, A. 2010. Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep. Canadian Veterinary Journal. 22(3):402-408.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=245110
>>> There is as yet no evidence for transmission of atypical scrapie
I find this statement to be incorrect. Atypical Scrapie is consistently transmissible within AHQ homozygous sheep, and the disease phenotype is preserved on sub-passage. The Nor-98 atypical Scrapie transmits to mice and to sheep through intracerebral inoculation in transgenic mice and sheep. There are some data even suggesting that it may also be transmissible orally to sheep of different genotypes to date (see SEAC reference). We also know that some typical Scrapie strains will transmit to primate by their non-forced oral consumption of Scrapie infected materials.
I find it very disturbing and irresponsible that the O.I.E. and U.S.D.A. et al, have made legal, the trading of the atypical Scrapie Nor-98 strain as a non-health issue (as with typical Scrapie strains), when we have science showing that they are a potential health threat, and when you have the Nobel Prize winner for the Prion, Dr. Stanley Prusiner voicing his concern, (see reference). Please remember also, testing on humans has never been done. So to continue to theorize or wish that the atypical Scrapie strains and or typical Scrapie strains will not transmit to man or animal is not scientifically sound, and needlessly puts at risk both man and animal to Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy around the globe via trade.
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
flounder9@verizon.net
additional comments as follows ;
Greetings again Dr. Saliki et al,
I have had a passion for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy since the death of my Mom to the Heidenhain Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, one of 6+ strains of the sporadic CJD's. Sporadic CJD simply meaning CJD from unknown route and source of the TSE agent, and here in the USA, that could be many different routes and sources, if you consider the many different TSE strains in different species in North America, and then think 'friendly fire' there from. For a few years now there seems to be a rise here in the U.S.A. of sporadic CJD strains of 'unknown phenotype', with ;
5 Includes 28 cases in which the diagnosis is pending, and 17 inconclusive cases;
6 Includes 28 (24 from 2010) cases with type determination pending in which the diagnosis of vCJD has been excluded
http://www.cjdsurveillance.com/pdf/case-table.pdf
I should remind you of an old statement ;
If the scrapie agent is generated from ovine DNA and thence causes disease in other species, then perhaps, bearing in mind the possible role of scrapie in CJD of humans (Davinpour et al, 1985), scrapie and not BSE should be the notifiable disease. ...
http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20090505194948/http://bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/06/08004001.pdf
and these findings now ;
Similarities between Forms of Sheep Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Are Encoded by Distinct Prion Types
snip...
Different Scrapie Prion Types Show Similarities to Human Prion Types: PrPsc Deposition Pattern and Western Blot Results
http://ajp.amjpathol.org/cgi/content/abstract/175/6/2566
please see studies and findings below as well ;
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.
http://cjdusa.blogspot.com/2009/09/co-existence-of-scrapie-prion-protein.html
SOURCE REFERENCES BELOW ;
Research article
The natural atypical scrapie phenotype is preserved on experimental transmission and sub-passage in PRNP homologous sheep
Marion M Simmons1 , Timm Konold1 , Lisa Thurston1 , Susan J Bellworthy1 , Melanie J Chaplin2 and S Jo Moore1
1 Department of Pathology, Veterinary Laboratories Agency Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK
2 Molecular Pathogenesis and Genetics Department, Veterinary Laboratories Agency Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK
author email corresponding author email
BMC Veterinary Research 2010, 6:14doi:10.1186/1746-6148-6-14
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/6/14
4. Transmission of atypical scrapie It has recently18 been demonstrated that atypical scrapie is experimentally transmissible to mice and sheep, primarily through intracerebral injection. There are some data suggesting that it may also be transmissible orally to sheep of different genotypes.
http://www.seac.gov.uk/pdf/positionstatement-sheep-subgroup.pdf
18 Le Dur A., Béringue V., Andréoletti O., Reine F., Laï T.H., Baron T., Bratberg B., Vilotte J.- L., Sarradin P., Benestad S.L. and Laude H.(2005)
Edited by Stanley B. Prusiner, University of California, San Francisco, CA (received for review March 21, 2005)
A newly identified type of scrapie agent can naturally infect sheep with resistant PrP genotypes.
Here we report that both Nor98 and discordant cases, including three sheep homozygous for the resistant PrPARR allele (A136R154R171), efficiently transmitted the disease to transgenic mice expressing ovine PrP, and that they shared unique biological and biochemical features upon propagation in mice. These observations support the view that a truly infectious TSE agent, unrecognized until recently, infects sheep and goat flocks and may have important implications in terms of scrapie control and public health.
PNAS 102, 16031-16036
http://www.pnas.org/content/102/44/16031.abstract
IN CONFIDENCE
TRANSMISSION TO CHIMPANZEES
We cannot say that Scrapie will not transmit to Chimpanzees.
http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080102222950/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1990/09/23001001.pdf
EVIDENCE OF SCRAPIE IN SHEEP AS A RESULT OF FOOD BORNE EXPOSURE
2. It was agreed that there was evidence of scrapie in sheep as a result of food borne exposure. This is provided by the statistically significant increase in the incidence of sheep scrape from 1985, as determined from analyses of the submissions made to VI Centres, and from individual case and flock incident studies. As the working hypothesis is that there has been recycling of infected cattle tissues which has augmented the epidemic in cattle the continued infection of sheep with the BSE agent, via the food borne source, cannot be excluded. There is therefore also a possibility that the BSE agent may have become indemic in the sheep population, but it is impossible to design any short-term research programme to elucidate this. ...
http://web.archive.org/web/20030517224223/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/02/07002001.pdf
1. Inclusion of “atypical” scrapie: The scientific evidence indicates that “atypical” scrapie, also referred to as Nor-98, Nor-98-like, or non-classical scrapie, is not the same disease as classical scrapie. Further, “atypical” scrapie does not meet the criteria for listing diseases of trade concern by the OIE, as described in Chapter 2.1.1 of the Code. The United States recommends that the scope of this chapter be limited to classical scrapie in sheep and goats. Further, the United States recommends that OIE clearly adopt the position that “atypical” scrapie represents a distinct disease entity from classical scrapie and that it not be a listed disease. • There is no evidence that “atypical” scrapie is a contagious disease.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/oie/downloads/tahc_mar-sep08/tahc-scrapie-77-mar08_cmt.pdf
Monday, November 30, 2009
USDA AND OIE COLLABORATE TO EXCLUDE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE NOR-98 ANIMAL HEALTH CODE
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2009/11/usda-and-oie-collaborate-to-exclude.html
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
http://web.archive.org/web/20010305223125/www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1976/10/12004001.pdf
all this i have documented here ;
see scrapie in CJD of humans (Davinpour et al, 1985) and more here ;
Sunday, April 18, 2010
SCRAPIE AND ATYPICAL SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION STUDIES A REVIEW 2010
http://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2010/04/scrapie-and-atypical-scrapie.html
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
NOR-98 ATYPICAL SCRAPIE USA 4 CASES DETECTED JANUARY 2010
http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2010/03/nor-98-atypical-scrapie-usa-4-cases.html
Friday, January 29, 2010
14th International Congress on Infectious Diseases H-type and L-type Atypical BSE January 2010 (special pre-congress edition)
see page 114 ;
http://ww2.isid.org/Downloads/14th_ICID_ISE_Abstracts.pdf
PLEASE SEE my journal publishings on TSE as a layperson 1997-2010 here ;
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2010/01/14th-international-congress-on.html
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Prion Strain Mutation and Selection John Collinge
MEDICINE
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2010/06/prion-strain-mutation-and-selection.html
Friday, May 14, 2010
Prion Strain Mutation Determined by Prion Protein Conformational Compatibility and Primary Structure
Published Online May 13, 2010 Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1187107 Science Express Index
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/science.1187107
see full text and more here ;
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2010/05/prion-strain-mutation-determined-by.html
Molecular, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics of BSE in Canada
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2010/05/molecular-biochemical-and-genetic.html
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.
http://www.prionetcanada.ca/detail.aspx?menu=5&dt=293380&app=93&cat1=387&tp=20&lk=no&cat2
please see full text ;
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Atypical BSE in Cattle
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2010/03/atypical-bse-in-cattle-position-post.html
http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/10/atypical-bse-bse-and-other-human-and.html
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
USA cases of dpCJD rising with 24 cases so far in 2010
http://cjdtexas.blogspot.com/2010/06/usa-cases-of-dpcjd-rising-with-24-cases.html
Monday, April 5, 2010
UPDATE - CJD TEXAS 38 YEAR OLD FEMALE WORKED SLAUGHTERING CATTLE EXPOSED TO BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD MATTER
http://prionunitusaupdate2008.blogspot.com/2010/04/update-cjd-texas-38-year-old-female.html
Archive Number 20100405.1091 Published Date 05-APR-2010
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Prion disease update 1010 (04)
snip...
[Terry S. Singeltary Sr. has added the following comment:
"According to the World Health Organisation, the future public health threat of vCJD in the UK and Europe and potentially the rest of the world is of concern and currently unquantifiable. However, the possibility of a significant and geographically diverse vCJD epidemic occurring over the next few decades cannot be dismissed.
The key word here is diverse. What does diverse mean? If USA scrapie transmitted to USA bovine does not produce pathology as the UK c-BSE, then why would CJD from there look like UK vCJD?"
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:568933508083034::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,82101
ATYPICAL BSE MORE VIRULENT TO HUMANS THAN UK STRAIN
18 January 2007 - Draft minutes of the SEAC 95 meeting (426 KB) held on 7 December 2006 are now available.
snip...
64. A member noted that at the recent Neuroprion meeting, a study was presented showing that in transgenic mice BSE passaged in sheep may be more virulent and infectious to a wider range of species than bovine derived BSE.
Other work presented suggested that BSE and bovine amyloidotic spongiform encephalopathy (BASE) MAY BE RELATED. A mutation had been identified in the prion protein gene in an AMERICAN BASE CASE THAT WAS SIMILAR IN NATURE TO A MUTATION FOUND IN CASES OF SPORADIC CJD.
snip...
http://www.seac.gov.uk/minutes/95.pdf
3:30 Transmission of the Italian Atypical BSE (BASE) in Humanized Mouse
Models Qingzhong Kong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pathology, Case Western Reserve University
Bovine Amyloid Spongiform Encephalopathy (BASE) is an atypical BSE strain discovered recently in Italy, and similar or different atypical BSE cases were also reported in other countries. The infectivity and phenotypes of these atypical BSE strains in humans are unknown. In collaboration with Pierluigi Gambetti, as well as Maria Caramelli and her co-workers, we have inoculated transgenic mice expressing human prion protein with brain homogenates from BASE or BSE infected cattle. Our data shows that about half of the BASE-inoculated mice became infected with an average incubation time of about 19 months; in contrast, none of the BSE-inoculated mice appear to be infected after more than 2 years.
***These results indicate that BASE is transmissible to humans and suggest that BASE is more virulent than classical BSE in humans.***
6:30 Close of Day One
http://www.healthtech.com/2007/tse/day1.asp
SEE STEADY INCREASE IN SPORADIC CJD IN THE USA FROM 1997 TO 2006. SPORADIC CJD CASES TRIPLED, with phenotype of 'UNKNOWN' strain growing. ...
http://www.cjdsurveillance.com/resources-casereport.html
There is a growing number of human CJD cases, and they were presented last week in San Francisco by Luigi Gambatti(?) from his CJD surveillance collection.
He estimates that it may be up to 14 or 15 persons which display selectively SPRPSC and practically no detected RPRPSC proteins.
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/06/transcripts/1006-4240t1.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/06/transcripts/2006-4240t1.pdf
2008 - 2010
The statistical incidence of CJD cases in the United States has been revised to reflect that there is one case per 9000 in adults age 55 and older. Eighty-five percent of the cases are sporadic, meaning there is no known cause at present.
http://www.cjdfoundation.org/fact.html
Friday, November 30, 2007
CJD QUESTIONNAIRE USA CWRU AND CJD FOUNDATION
http://cjdquestionnaire.blogspot.com/
Meeting of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Committee On June 12, 2009 (TRANSCRIPT)
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/BloodVaccinesandOtherBiologics/TransmissibleSpongiformEncephalopathiesAdvisoryCommittee/UCM171810.pdf
Meeting of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Committee On June 12, 2009 (Singeltary submission)
http://tseac.blogspot.com/2009/05/meeting-of-transmissible-spongiform.html
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States 2003 revisited 2009
http://cjdusa.blogspot.com/2009/06/monitoring-occurrence-of-emerging-forms.html
Friday, February 05, 2010
New Variant Creutzfelt Jakob Disease case reports United States 2010 A Review
http://vcjd.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-variant-creutzfelt-jakob-disease.html
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Human Prion Diseases in the United States January 1, 2010 ***FINAL***
http://prionunitusaupdate2008.blogspot.com/2010/01/human-prion-diseases-in-united-states.html
my comments to PLosone here ;
http://www.plosone.org/annotation/listThread.action?inReplyTo=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd&root=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
----- Original Message -----
From: Jerry Saliki
To: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
Cc: Dongyue.Zhuang@ARS.USDA.GOV ; Katherine.ORourke@ARS.USDA.GOV ; Aru.Balachandran@inspection.gc.ca ; editorial@jvdi.org ; jsaliki@jvdi.org ; subscription@jvdi.org ; cjdvoice@yahoogroups.com ; BSE-L@LISTS.AEGEE.ORG ; editor1@uga.edu
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 8:22 AM
Subject: RE: Research Project: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: Identification of atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep
Dear Mr. Singletary:
Thank you for your recent message regarding atypical scrapie in Canadian sheep. Upon reading your message, I find it to be rather incomprehensible. I request that you condense your concerns into a paragraph or a series of bullet points, for further consideration. I would also like to inform you that articles published in the Journal of Veterinray Diagnostic Investigation are peer-reviewed by individuals with expertise in the various fields.
Sincerely,
Jeremiah T. Saliki, DVM, PhD, ACVM
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
Website: http://jvdi.org
END...
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
