Unsuccessful Attempts to Transmit Scrapie by Nematode Parasites

Abstract

SUMMARY Details are given of unsuccessful attempts to transfer scrapie to healthy animals through the medium of nematode parasites obtained from sheep, goats, rats and mice affected with experimentally-induced scrapie. The nematodes used were Haemonchus contortus in sheep and goats, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in rats, and Syphacia obvelata in mice. The healthy animals were inoculated with ground adult worms harvested from scrapie-affected animals, or were infected with third-stage larvae cultured from the faeces of scrapie-affected animals. Scrapie did not occur in any of the inoculated or worm-infected animals.