Prions Are Secreted into the Oral Cavity in Sheep with Preclinical Scrapie

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 201; no. 11; pp. 1672 - 1676
• Main Authors: Maddison, Ben C., Rees, Helen C., Baker, Claire A., Taema, Maged, Bellworthy, Susan J., Thorne, Leigh, Terry, Linda A., Gough, Kevin C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford The University of Chicago Press 01.06.2010; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animal age determination; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotype; Genotypes; Human viral diseases; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Mouth; Mouth Mucosa - chemistry; Neurology; Non conventional transmissible agents; Prion diseases; Prions; Prions - analysis; Prions - genetics; Saliva; Scrapie - pathology; Secretion; Sheep; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the nervous system; Prion disease; Nervous system diseases; Farming animal; Scrapie; Secretion; Cerebral disorder; Infection; Oral cavity; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Central nervous system disease; Sheep; Degenerative disease; Prion; Artiodactyla; Spongiform encephalopathy; Veterinary; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/652457

A major concern in prion disease transmission is the spread of the disease agent by means of secretions and excretions. We analyzed buccal swab samples obtained from preclinical scrapie-infected sheep by concentrating the collected prions on silicon dioxide, followed by amplification by serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification. Data clearly demonstrate that prions are present in buccal swab samples from sheep with a VRQ/VRQ PRNP genotype during preclinical scrapie infection. These data describe for the first time to our knowledge the secretion of prions into the oral cavity of sheep, a finding with implications for the transmission of ovine scrapie and very likely other prion diseases.