title: Sheep with scrapie and mastitis transmit infectious prions through the milk.
abstract: Prions are misfolded proteins that are infectious and naturally transmitted, causing a fatal neurological disease in humans and animals. Prion shedding routes have been shown to be modified by inflammation in excretory organs, such as the kidney. Here, we show that sheep with scrapie and lentiviral mastitis secrete prions into the milk and infect nearly 90% of naïve suckling lambs. Thus, lentiviruses may enhance prion transmission, conceivably sustaining prion infections in flocks for generations. This study also indicates a risk of prion spread to sheep and potentially to other animals through dietary exposure to pooled sheep milk or milk products.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Ciriaco
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ligios
authors.forename: Maria Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cancedda
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carta
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santucciu
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maestrale
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demontis
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patta
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: DeMartini
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguzzi
authors.forename: Christina J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sigurdson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000473:pathology; D008413:Mastitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D008853:Microscopy; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D011328:Prions / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D014790:Visna-maedi virus / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D011328:Prions