title: Susceptibility of European red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus) to alimentary challenge with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
abstract: European red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus) are susceptible to the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, one of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, when challenged intracerebrally but their susceptibility to alimentary challenge, the presumed natural route of transmission, is unknown. To determine this, eighteen deer were challenged via stomach tube with a large dose of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent and clinical signs, gross and histological lesions, presence and distribution of abnormal prion protein and the attack rate recorded. Only a single animal developed clinical disease, and this was acute with both neurological and respiratory signs, at 1726 days post challenge although there was significant (27.6%) weight loss in the preceding 141 days. The clinically affected animal had histological lesions of vacuolation in the neuronal perikaryon and neuropil, typical of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Abnormal prion protein, the diagnostic marker of transmissible encephalopathies, was primarily restricted to the central and peripheral nervous systems although a very small amount was present in tingible body macrophages in the lymphoid patches of the caecum and colon. Serial protein misfolding cyclical amplification, an in vitro ultra-sensitive diagnostic technique, was positive for neurological tissue from the single clinically diseased deer. All other alimentary challenged deer failed to develop clinical disease and were negative for all other investigations. These findings show that transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to European red deer via the alimentary route is possible but the transmission rate is low. Additionally, when deer carcases are subjected to the same regulations that ruminants in Europe with respect to the removal of specified offal from the human food chain, the zoonotic risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the cause of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, from consumption of venison is probably very low.
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dagleish
authors.affiliation: Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency Lasswade, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jeanie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finlayson
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute at, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Samantha L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.affiliation: Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency Lasswade, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sílvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sisó
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute at, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: CIC bioGUNE, Parque tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio 48160, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernández-Borges
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chianini
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hugh W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute at, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Wilfred
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goldmann
authors.affiliation: Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency Lasswade, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: CIC bioGUNE, Parque tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio 48160, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48013, Bizkaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castilla
authors.affiliation: Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency Lasswade, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeffrey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002417:Cattle; D003670:Deer; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011328:Prions / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology*; D034081:Wasting Disease, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission*
chemical_list: D011328:Prions