title: Spongiform encephalopathy in a captive puma (Felis concolor).
abstract: A captive adult puma developed ataxia, a hypermetric gait and whole body tremor. The signs progressed over a period of six weeks. Histopathological examination following euthanasia demonstrated spongiform encephalopathy, gliosis and mild non-suppurative meningoencephalitis. Immunostaining with a polyclonal antiserum revealed prion protein (PrP) associated with these changes in sections of cervical spinal cord and medulla. This is the first confirmed case of a scrapie-like spongiform encephalopathy described in a non-domestic cat in the United Kingdom.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, University of Liverpool.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Willoughby
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002335:Carnivora; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000382:microbiology; D011328:Prions / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012897:Slow Virus Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D011328:Prions