title: The placenta shed from goats with classical scrapie is infectious to goat kids and lambs.
abstract: The placenta of domestic sheep plays a key role in horizontal transmission of classical scrapie. Domestic goats are frequently raised with sheep and are susceptible to classical scrapie, yet potential routes of transmission from goats to sheep are not fully defined. Sparse accumulation of disease-associated prion protein in cotyledons casts doubt about the role of the goat's placenta. Thus, relevant to mixed-herd management and scrapie-eradication efforts worldwide, we determined if the goat's placenta contains prions orally infectious to goat kids and lambs. A pooled cotyledon homogenate, prepared from the shed placenta of a goat with naturally acquired classical scrapie disease, was used to orally inoculate scrapie-naïve prion genotype-matched goat kids and scrapie-susceptible lambs raised separately in a scrapie-free environment. Transmission was detected in all four goats and in two of four sheep, which importantly identifies the goat's placenta as a risk for horizontal transmission to sheep and other goats.
authors.affiliation: Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA, 99164-6630, USA.|Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA.
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Madsen-Bouterse
authors.affiliation: Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA, 99164-6630, USA.
authors.forename: Dongyue
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA, 99164-6630, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Truscott
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA.
authors.forename: Rohana P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Dassanayake
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000635:transmission*; D006041:Goats; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012608:Scrapie / Q000378:metabolism / Q000635:transmission*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000635:transmission*
chemical_list: D018620:PrPSc Proteins