Abstract
Feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) is considered to be related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and has been reported in domestic cats as well as in captive wild cats including cheetahs, first in the United Kingdom (UK) and then in other European countries. In France, several cases were described in cheetahs either imported from UK or born in France. Here we report details of two other FSE cases in captive cheetah including a 2nd case of FSE in a cheetah born in France, most likely due to maternal transmission. Complete prion protein immunohistochemical study on both brains and peripheral organs showed the close likeness between the two cases. In addition, transmission studies to the TgOvPrP4 mouse line were also performed, for comparison with the transmission of cattle BSE. The TgOvPrP4 mouse brains infected with cattle BSE and cheetah FSE revealed similar vacuolar lesion profiles, PrPd brain mapping with occurrence of typical florid plaques. Collectively, these data indicate that they harbor the same strain of agent as the cattle BSE agent. This new observation may have some impact on our knowledge of vertical transmission of BSE agent-linked TSEs such as in housecat FSE, or vCJD.
Highlights
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and scrapie in sheep and goats
The BSE agent involved in the food-borne bovine epidemic is acknowledged to be relatively transmittable to several species, such as humans, where it appears as a variant of CJD, and to sheep, goats and to different felidae developing feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) [2,3,4,5,6]
Are reports of two cases of feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) in 2 female cheetahs, one imported from Great Britain, the other born in France, that most likely constitute the first description of a possible maternal transmission of this disease in that species
Summary
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and scrapie in sheep and goats. The BSE agent involved in the food-borne bovine epidemic is acknowledged to be relatively transmittable to several species, such as humans, where it appears as a variant of CJD, and to sheep, goats and to different felidae developing feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) [2,3,4,5,6]. The occurrence of these diseases is believed to have resulted from consumption of BSEagent-contaminated feed.
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