Oral Transmission of L-Type Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Agent among Cattle.

Hiroyuki Okada,Kohtaro Miyazawa,Yuichi Matsuura,Takashi Yokoyama,Yuichi Murayama,Kentaro Masujin,Morikazu Imamura,Yoshifumi Iwamaru

doi:10.3201/eid2302.161416

Abstract

To determine oral transmissibility of the L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prion, we orally inoculated 16 calves with brain homogenates of the agent. Only 1 animal, given a high dose, showed signs and died at 88 months. These results suggest low risk for oral transmission of the L-BSE agent among cattle.

Highlights

To determine oral transmissibility of the L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prion, we orally inoculated 16 calves with brain homogenates of the agent
The L-type BSE (L-BSE) prion has been experimentally transmitted to cattle by intracerebral challenge, and the incubation period was is shorter than that for classical BSE (C-BSE) prions [2,3,4,5,6]
Our results suggest that the risk for oral transmission of L-BSE among cattle may be very low; after 88 months, the only case of transmission occurred in a cow that had been inoculated with a high dose of L-BSE–infected brain homogenate

Summary

Introduction

To determine oral transmissibility of the L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prion, we orally inoculated 16 calves with brain homogenates of the agent. We investigated the transmissibility of L-BSE by the oral route and tissue distribution of disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc) in cattle.

Results

Conclusion