title: Diagnosis of the first cases of scrapie in Poland.
abstract: This is the first report of cases of scrapie in Poland. The disease was an atypical phenotype, diagnosed in two aged sheep which were found dead. Brainstem samples from both animals were positive on the applied ELISA rapid test, while the confirmatory immunoblot indicated abnormal banding patterns of protease resistant prion protein (PrP(res)). The genotypes of these sheep were ALRQ/ALHQ and ALRQ/ALRR. The absence of premonitory clinical signs, the advanced age of the affected sheep, the higher concentration of PrP(res) in the cerebellum relative to the obex, the unusual banding profile of the prion protein and its relatively low resistance to proteolytic degradation confirmed the diagnosis of atypical scrapie (Nor98-like) in both cases.
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Research Institute, Partyzantow 57, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland. ppolak@piwet.pulawy.pl
authors.forename: Miroslaw P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Polak
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larska
authors.forename: Jan P M
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Langeveld
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buschmann
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Groschup
authors.forename: Jan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Zmudzinski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism; D005838:Genotype; D011044:Poland; D011328:Prions / Q000032:analysis*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D011328:Prions