title: Interspecies transmission of chronic wasting disease prions to squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus).
abstract: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging prion disease of deer and elk. The risk of CWD transmission to humans following exposure to CWD-infected tissues is unknown. To assess the susceptibility of nonhuman primates to CWD, two squirrel monkeys were inoculated with brain tissue from a CWD-infected mule deer. The CWD-inoculated squirrel monkeys developed a progressive neurodegenerative disease and were euthanized at 31 and 34 months postinfection. Brain tissue from the CWD-infected squirrel monkeys contained the abnormal isoform of the prion protein, PrP-res, and displayed spongiform degeneration. This is the first reported transmission of CWD to primates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.forename: Anthony E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kincaid
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bessen
authors.forename: Jason C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bartz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission*; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012453:Saimiri; D013045:Species Specificity; D034081:Wasting Disease, Chronic / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission*
chemical_list: D018620:PrPSc Proteins