title: Immunohistochemical and biochemical characteristics of BSE and CWD in experimentally infected European red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cause of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic in the United Kingdom (UK) was the inclusion of contaminated meat and bone meal in the protein rations fed to cattle. Those rations were not restricted to cattle but were also fed to other livestock including farmed and free living deer. Although there are no reported cases to date of natural BSE in European deer, BSE has been shown to be naturally or experimentally transmissible to a wide range of different ungulate species. Moreover, several species of North America's cervids are highly susceptible to chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that has become endemic. Should BSE infection have been introduced into the UK deer population, the CWD precedent could suggest that there is a danger for spread and maintenance of the disease in both free living and captive UK deer populations. This study compares the immunohistochemical and biochemical characteristics of BSE and CWD in experimentally-infected European red deer (Cervus elpahus elaphus).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After intracerebral or alimentary challenge, BSE in red deer more closely resembled natural infection in cattle rather than experimental BSE in small ruminants, due to the lack of accumulation of abnormal PrP in lymphoid tissues. In this respect it was different from CWD, and although the neuropathological features of both diseases were similar, BSE could be clearly differentiated from CWD by immunohistochemical and Western blotting methods currently in routine use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Red deer are susceptible to both BSE and CWD infection, but the resulting disease phenotypes are distinct and clearly distinguishable.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA-Lasswade), Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK. s.f.martin@vla.defra.gsi.gov.uk
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeffrey
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Sílvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sisó
authors.forename: Hugh W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dagleish
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stack
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chaplin
authors.forename: Aru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balachandran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003670:Deer; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000276:immunology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011328:Prions / Q000302:isolation & purification; D034081:Wasting Disease, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011328:Prions