Experimental transmission of US scrapie agent by nasal, peritoneal, and conjunctival routes to genetically susceptible sheep
Hamir, A.N.; Kunkle, R.A.; Richt, J.A.; Miller, J.M.; Greenlee, J.J.
Veterinary Pathology 45(1): 7-11
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-9858 PMID: 18192568 DOI: 10.1354/vp.45-1-7
Accession: 018896152
Scrapie is a naturally occurring fatal neurodegenerative disease of sheep and goats. This study documents incubation periods, pathologic findings, and distribution of abnormal prion proteins (PrP(Sc)) by immunohistochemistry in tissues of genetically susceptible sheep inoculated with US sheep scrapie agent. Four-month-old Suffolk lambs (QQ at codon 171) were inoculated by 1 of 3 different routes (nasal, peritoneal, and conjunctival) with an inoculum (No. 13-7) consisting of a pool of scrapie-affected sheep brains. Except for 3 sheep, all inoculated animals were euthanized when advanced clinical signs of scrapie were observed between 19 and 46 months postinoculation (MPI).