title: First case of chronic wasting disease in Europe in a Norwegian free-ranging reindeer.
abstract: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal contagious prion disease in cervids that is enzootic in some areas in North America. The disease has been found in deer, elk and moose in the USA and Canada, and in South Korea following the importation of infected animals. Here we report the first case of CWD in Europe, in a Norwegian free-ranging reindeer in Southern Norway. The origin of the disease is unknown. Until now a low number of cervids, and among them a few reindeer, have been tested for CWD in Norway. Therefore the prevalence of CWD is unknown.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, 0106, Oslo, Norway. sylvie.benestad@vetinst.no.
authors.forename: Sylvie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Benestad
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, 7485, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Bjørnar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ytrehus
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, 0106, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Turid
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vikøren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012053:Reindeer; D034081:Wasting Disease, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology