Ovine Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Research Articles

Glycans are not necessary to maintain the pathobiological features of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

The role of the glycosylation status of PrPC in the conversion to its pathological counterpart and on cross-species transmission of prion strains has been widely discussed. Here, we assessed the effect on strain characteristics of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) isolates with different transmission histories upon propagation on a model expressing a non-glycosylated human PrPC. Bovine, ovine and porcine-passaged BSE, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) isolates were used as seeds/inocula in both in vitro and in vivo propagation assays using the non-glycosylated human PrPC-expressing mouse model (TgNN6h). After protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), all isolates maintained the biochemical characteristics of BSE. On bioassay, all PMCA-propagated BSE prions were readily transmitted to TgNN6h mice, in agreement with our previous in vitro results. TgNN6h mice reproduced the characteristic neuropathological and biochemical hallmarks of BSE, suggesting that the absence of glycans did not alter the pathobiological features of BSE prions. Moreover, back-passage of TgNN6h-adapted BSE prions to BoTg110 mice recovered the full BSE phenotype, confirming that the glycosylation of human PrPC is not essential for the preservation of the human transmission barrier for BSE prions or for the maintenance of BSE strain properties.

Strain Typing of Classical Scrapie and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) by Using Ovine PrP (ARQ/ARQ) Overexpressing Transgenic Mice.

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), caused by abnormal prion protein (PrPSc), affect many species. The most classical scrapie isolates harbor mixtures of strains in different proportions. While the characterization of isolates has evolved from using wild-type mice to transgenic mice, no standardization is established yet. Here, we investigated the incubation period, lesion profile and PrPSc profile induced by well-defined sheep scrapie isolates, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and ovine BSE after intracerebral inoculation into two lines of ovine PrP (both ARQ/ARQ) overexpressing transgenic mice (Tgshp IX and Tgshp XI). All isolates were transmitted to both mouse models with an attack rate of almost 100%, but genotype-dependent differences became obvious between the ARQ and VRQ isolates. Surprisingly, BSE induced a much longer incubation period in Tgshp XI compared to Tgshp IX. In contrast to the histopathological lesion profiles, the immunohistochemical PrPSc profiles revealed discriminating patterns in certain brain regions in both models with clear differentiation of both BSE isolates from scrapie. These data provide the basis for the use of Tgshp IX and XI mice in the characterization of TSE isolates. Furthermore, the results enable a deeper appreciation of TSE strain diversity using ovine PrP overexpressing transgenic mice as a biological prion strain typing approach.

Genetic, histochemical and biochemical studies on goat TSE cases from Cyprus.

Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE’s) affecting sheep and goats. Susceptibility of goats to scrapie is influenced by polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP) of the host. Five polymorphisms are associated with reduced susceptibility to TSE’s. In the study presented here caprine samples from a scrapie eradication program on Cyprus were genotyped and further characterized using BioRad TeSeE rapid test, histological, immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. In total 42 goats from 20 flocks were necropsied from which 25 goats showed a positive result in the rapid test, a spongiform encephalopathy and an accumulation of pathological prion protein (PrPSc) in the obex. PrPSc deposits were demonstrated in the placenta, peripheral nervous and lymphoreticular system. Two animals showed PrPSc-accumulations in peripheral tissues only. By discriminatory immunoblots a scrapie infection could be confirmed for all cases. Nevertheless, slight deviations in the glycosylation pattern might indicate the presence of different scrapie strains. Furthermore scrapie samples from goats in the current study demonstrated less long term resistance to proteinase K than ovine or caprine BSE control samples. Reduced scrapie susceptibility according to the PRNP genotype was demonstrated (Fishers Exact test, p < 0.05) for the goats with at least one polymorphism (p = 0.023) at the six codons examined and in particular for those with polymorphisms at codon 146 (p = 0.016). This work characterizes scrapie in goats having implications for breeding and surveillance strategies.

Mutated but Not Deleted Ovine PrP(C) N-Terminal Polybasic Region Strongly Interferes with Prion Propagation in Transgenic Mice.

Mammalian prions are proteinaceous infectious agents composed of misfolded assemblies of the host-encoded, cellular prion protein (PrP). Physiologically, the N-terminal polybasic region of residues 23 to 31 of PrP has been shown to be involved in its endocytic trafficking and interactions with glycosaminoglycans or putative ectodomains of membrane-associated proteins. Several recent reports also describe this PrP region as important for the toxicity of mutant prion proteins and the efficiency of prion propagation, both in vitro and in vivo. The question remains as to whether the latter observations made with mouse PrP and mouse prions would be relevant to other PrP species/prion strain combinations given the dramatic impact on prion susceptibility of minimal amino acid substitutions and structural variations in PrP. Here, we report that transgenic mouse lines expressing ovine PrP with a deletion of residues 23 to 26 (KKRP) or mutated in this N-terminal region (KQHPH instead of KKRPK) exhibited a variable, strain-dependent susceptibility to prion infection with regard to the proportion of affected mice and disease tempo relative to findings in their wild-type counterparts. Deletion has no major effect on 127S scrapie prion pathogenesis, whereas mutation increased by almost 3-fold the survival time of the mice. Deletion marginally affected the incubation time of scrapie LA19K and ovine bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions, whereas mutation caused apparent resistance to disease. Recent reports suggested that the N-terminal polybasic region of the prion protein could be a therapeutic target to prevent prion propagation or toxic signaling associated with more common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Mutating or deleting this region in ovine PrP completes the data previously obtained with the mouse protein by identifying the key amino acid residues involved.

Dynamics of the natural transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy within an intensively managed sheep flock.

Sheep are susceptible to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent and in the UK they may have been exposed to BSE via contaminated meat and bone meal. An experimental sheep flock was established to determine whether ovine BSE could be naturally transmitted under conditions of intensive husbandry. The flock consisted of 113 sheep of different breeds and susceptible PRNP genotypes orally dosed with BSE, 159 sheep subsequently born to them and 125 unchallenged sentinel controls. BSE was confirmed in 104 (92%) orally dosed sheep and natural transmission was recorded for 14 of 79 (18%) lambs born to BSE infected dams, with rates varying according to PRNP genotype. The likelihood of natural BSE transmission was linked to stage of incubation period of the dam: the attack rate for lambs born within 100 days of the death of BSE infected dams was significantly higher (9/22, 41%) than for the rest (5/57, 9%). Within the group of ewes lambing close to death, those rearing infected progeny (n = 8, for 9/12 infected lambs) showed a significantly greater involvement of lymphoid tissues than those rearing non-infected offspring (n = 8, for 0/10 infected lambs). Horizontal transmission to the progeny of non-infected mothers was recorded only once (1/205, 0.5%). This low rate of lateral transmission was attributed, at least partly, to an almost complete absence of infected placentas. We conclude that, although BSE can be naturally transmitted through dam-lamb close contact, the infection in this study flock would not have persisted due to low-efficiency maternal and lateral transmissions.

Does the Presence of Scrapie Affect the Ability of Current Statutory Discriminatory Tests To Detect the Presence of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy?

Current European Commission (EC) surveillance regulations require discriminatory testing of all transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)-positive small ruminant (SR) samples in order to classify them as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or non-BSE. This requires a range of tests, including characterization by bioassay in mouse models. Since 2005, naturally occurring BSE has been identified in two goats. It has also been demonstrated that more than one distinct TSE strain can coinfect a single animal in natural field situations. This study assesses the ability of the statutory methods as listed in the regulation to identify BSE in a blinded series of brain samples, in which ovine BSE and distinct isolates of scrapie are mixed at various ratios ranging from 99% to 1%. Additionally, these current statutory tests were compared with a new in vitro discriminatory method, which uses serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA). Western blotting consistently detected 50% BSE within a mixture, but at higher dilutions it had variable success. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method consistently detected BSE only when it was present as 99% of the mixture, with variable success at higher dilutions. Bioassay and sPMCA reported BSE in all samples where it was present, down to 1%. sPMCA also consistently detected the presence of BSE in mixtures at 0.1%. While bioassay is the only validated method that allows comprehensive phenotypic characterization of an unknown TSE isolate, the sPMCA assay appears to offer a fast and cost-effective alternative for the screening of unknown isolates when the purpose of the investigation was solely to determine the presence or absence of BSE.

Ability of wild type mouse bioassay to detect bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the presence of excess scrapie.

IntroductionScrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) which naturally affect small and large ruminants respectively. However, small ruminants, which are susceptible to BSE under experimental conditions, have been exposed to the same or similar contaminated food additives as cattle. To date two natural cases of BSE in small ruminants have been reported. As a result surveillance projects, combined with appropriate control measures, have been established throughout the European Union (EU) to minimize the overall incidence of small ruminant TSEs. Although BSE can be differentiated from classical scrapie (subsequently referred to as scrapie) if appropriate discriminatory tests are applied, the value of these tests in BSE/scrapie co-infection scenarios has not been evaluated fully. Mouse bioassay is regarded as the gold standard regarding differentiation of distinct TSE strains and has been used as to resolve TSE cases were laboratory tests produced equivocal results. However, the ability of this method to discriminate TSE strains when they co-exist has not been examined systematically. To address this issue we prepared in vitro mixtures of ovine BSE and scrapie and used them to challenge RIII, C57BL/6 and VM mice.ResultsDisease phenotype analysis in all three mouse lines indicated that most phenotypic parameters (attack rates, incubation periods, lesion profiles and Western blots) were compatible with scrapie phenotypes as were immunohistochemistry (IHC) data from RIII and C57BL/6 mice. However, in VM mice that were challenged with BSE/scrapie mixtures a single BSE-associated IHC feature was identified, indicating the existence of BSE in animals where the scrapie phenotype was dominant.ConclusionsWe conclude that wild type mouse bioassay is of limited value in detecting BSE in the presence of scrapie particularly if the latter is in relative excess.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40478-015-0194-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Paraffin-embedded tissue blot as a sensitive method for discrimination between classical scrapie and experimental bovine spongiform encephalopathy in sheep

The paraffin-embedded tissue (PET) blot was modified for use as a tool to differentiate between classical scrapie and experimental bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in sheep. Medulla (obex) from 21 cases of classical scrapie and 6 cases of experimental ovine BSE were used to develop the method such that it can be used as a tool to differentiate between BSE and scrapie in the same way that differential immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been used previously. The differential PET blot successfully differentiated between all of the scrapie and ovine BSE cases. Differentiation was permitted more easily with PET blot than by differential IHC, with accurate observations possible at the macroscopic level. At the microscopic level, sensitivity was such that discrimination by the differential PET blot could be made with more confidence than with differential IHC in cases where the immunohistochemical differences were subtle. The differential PET blot makes use of harsh epitope demasking conditions, and, because of the differences in the way prion protein is processed in different prion diseases, it can serve as a new, highly sensitive method to discriminate between classical scrapie and experimental BSE in sheep.

Characterization of Strains of Ovine Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy with a Short PrP d Profiling Method

Scrapie is the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that naturally affects sheep and goats; these species are also susceptible to experimental infection with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. Discrimination between different strains of sheep scrapie and ovine BSE has been achieved by descriptive and quantitative profiling of deposits of the disease-associated prion protein (PrPd) in different areas of the brain, but this process is time-consuming and difficult to standardize between laboratories. The present paper describes an alternative PrPd profiling method that is less demanding and addresses these difficulties. It is based on the scoring of similar 14 PrPd types in 11 precisely defined areas of the telencephalon. When applied to 48 archived cases of experimental sheep BSE, SSBP/1, CH1641 and natural scrapie, it gave comparable results to the original profiling method, previously conducted on the same brains, and allowed differentiation between the different infectious sources. This new 'short PrPd profiling' method has the advantages of being less time-consuming and easier to standardize, so that it can be readily adopted by different laboratories to provide comparable results.

Three serial passages of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in sheep do not significantly affect discriminatory test results

During the 1980s, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-contaminated meat and bonemeal were probably fed to sheep, raising concerns that BSE may have been transmitted to sheep in the UK. The human disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, arose during the BSE epidemic, and oral exposure of humans to BSE-infected tissues has been implicated in its aetiology. The concern is that sheep BSE could provide another source of BSE exposure to humans via sheep products. Two immunological techniques, Western immunoblotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), have been developed to distinguish scrapie from cases of experimental sheep BSE by the characteristics of their respective abnormal, disease-associated prion proteins (PrP(d)). This study compares the WB and IHC characteristics of PrP(d) from brains of primary, secondary and tertiary experimental ovine BSE cases with those of cattle BSE and natural sheep scrapie. Discrimination between experimental sheep BSE and scrapie remained possible by both methods, regardless of the route of challenge.

Rapid Typing of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Strains with Differential ELISA

The bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent has been transmitted to humans, leading to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Sheep and goats can be experimentally infected by BSE and have been potentially exposed to natural BSE; however, whether BSE can be transmitted to small ruminants is not known. Based on the particular biochemical properties of the abnormal prion protein (PrPsc) associated with BSE, and particularly the increased degradation induced by proteinase K in the N terminal part of PrPsc, we have developed a rapid ELISA designed to distinguish BSE from other scrapie strains. This assay clearly discriminates experimental ovine BSE from other scrapie strains and was used to screen 260 transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)-infected small ruminant samples identified by the French active surveillance network (2002/2003). In this context, this test has helped to identify the first case of natural BSE in a goat and can be used to classify TSE isolates based on the proteinase K sensitivity of PrPsc.

Molecular Behaviors of “CH1641-Like” Sheep Scrapie Isolates in Ovine Transgenic Mice (TgOvPrP4)

Molecular analyses of the protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(res)) from a few natural scrapie isolates showed by Western blotting some partial similarities with those observed in experimental ovine bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). They showed a low apparent molecular mass of unglycosylated PrP(res), although diglycosylated PrP(res) was less abundant than in ovine BSE. The prototype of such cases is the CH1641 experimental scrapie isolate. We analyzed PrP(res) molecular features from three French natural "CH1641-like" isolates, in comparison with CH1641 and BSE, after transmission of the disease in ovine transgenic mice (TgOvPrP4). One of these isolates (TR316211) behaved like the CH1641 isolate, with PrP(res) features in mice similar to those in the sheep brain. From two other isolates (O100 and O104), two distinct PrP(res) phenotypes were identified in mouse brains, with either high (h-type) or low (l-type) apparent molecular masses of unglycosylated PrP(res), the latter being similar to that observed with CH1641, TR316211, or BSE. Both phenotypes could be found in variable proportions in the brains of the individual mice. In contrast with BSE, l-type PrP(res) from "CH1641-like" isolates showed lower levels of diglycosylated PrP(res). From one of these cases (O104), a second passage in mice was performed for two mice with distinct PrP(res) profiles. This showed a partial selection of the l-type phenotype in mice infected with a mouse brain with predominant l-type PrP(res), and it was accompanied by a significant increase in the proportions of the diglycosylated band. These results are discussed in relation to the diversity of scrapie and BSE strains.

Quantifying the risk from ovine BSE and the impact of control strategies

Although no naturally infected sheep with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has ever been discovered, it remains possible that BSE once infected the UK sheep population, has been transmitted between sheep, and is still present today. We constructed a mathematical model to assess the current maximum theoretical exposure to consumers from BSE-infected ovine material and to estimate the risk reduction that could be achieved by abattoir-based control options if BSE-infected sheep were ever found in the national flock. We predict that, if present, the exposure to consumers from a single BSE-infected sheep would be high: one sheep, close to the end of its incubation period, is likely to contribute 10-1000 times more infectious material than a fully infectious cow. Furthermore, 30% of this exposure comes from infectivity residing in lymphatic and peripheral tissue that cannot be completely removed from a carcass. We are 95% confident that throughout Great Britain, no more than four sheep flocks currently harbour an ongoing BSE epidemic. However, since the exposure from a single infected sheep is high, the annual human exposure from four 'typical' BSE-infected flocks could be considerable. Small reductions in exposure could be achieved by strategies based on tissue testing, a 12-month age restriction or expanded definitions of high-risk tissues. A six-month age restriction is likely to be more effective and genotype-based strategies the most effective.

Comparative titration of experimental ovine BSE infectivity in sheep and mice

Titration studies of the infectivity of experimental bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in sheep are necessary to assess the risk for human health posed by the ovine infection relative to the original cattle disease. Here, a comparative titration was performed of sheep-passaged BSE infectivity in Romney sheep and RIII mice, by the intracerebral (i.c.) and i.c. plus intraperitoneal (i.p.) routes, respectively. The sheep-to-mouse species barrier was lower than anticipated, as similar titres were obtained for both sheep [1 x 10(5.4) (i.c.) ID(50) g(-1))] and mice [1 x 10(5.0) (i.c.+i.p.) ID(50) g(-1)]. Moreover, sheep of the ARR/ARR PrP genotype all succumbed to i.c. challenge with a 10(-3) dilution of 0.5 g of a brainstem pool from BSE-affected sheep, indicating that resistance to natural infection in sheep of this genotype must reside in some mechanism of peripheral pathogenesis.

The neuropathologic phenotype of experimental ovine BSE is maintained after blood transfusion

Iatrogenic transmission by blood transfusion has been described in cases of human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), experimental ovine bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and natural sheep scrapie, demonstrating that blood in these prion diseases is infectious. However, the possible effect of the transfusion, derived from differences in the inoculum (blood) and the route of infection (intravenous), on the pathologic phenotype of the disease in the recipients is not known. This study describes the neuropathologic phenotype of PrP(d) accumulation in sheep succumbing to neurologic disease after blood transfusion from donors experimentally infected with BSE; these were either clinically or subclinically affected at the time of donation. We demonstrate that blood can become infectious at early stages of ovine BSE infection and that the PrP(d) immunohistochemical phenotype is maintained after transfusion. This suggests that a change in the pathologic phenotype of vCJD would not be expected as a result of exposure to infected blood.

Ovine Infection with the Agents of Scrapie (CH1641 Isolate) and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: Immunochemical Similarities can be Resolved by Immunohistochemistry

Immunochemical ("rapid") tests, which recognize a partly protease-resistant conformer of the prion protein (PrP(res)) are now widely used in Europe for the diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Some of these tests can be used to distinguish natural scrapie from experimental bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in sheep, on the basis of migration pattern differences of PrP(res) in Western immunoblots. However, PrP(res) from sheep inoculated with CH1641 scrapie gives an immunoblot profile similar to that of sheep inoculated with BSE. Therefore, field scrapie strains similar to CH1641 might be misclassified as ovine BSE in the rapid tests currently employed. This study confirmed that the Western blot similarities (size of the unglycosylated band and distinct reactivity with 6H4 and P4 antibodies) between CH1641 and BSE remained consistent regardless of the PrP genotype of the sheep, but the two infections resulted in accumulation of disease-associated PrP (PrP(d)) that could easily be distinguished by the immunohistochemical "peptide mapping" method. This method, which reveals conformational differences of PrP(d) by the use of a panel of antibodies, indicated that PrP(d) from the CH1641 isolate was truncated further upstream in the N terminus than was PrP(d) from other ovine TSEs, including experimental BSE. In addition, the immunohistochemical "PrP(d) profile method", which defines the phenotype of PrP(d) accumulation in the brain of affected sheep, showed that CH1641 infection leads to much more intra-neuronal and considerably less extracellular PrP(d) than does experimental BSE. The overall results demonstrate that a combined Western blotting and immunohistochemical approach is required to discriminate between different TSE strains in sheep.

Immunohistochemical Distinction between Preclinical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Scrapie Infection in Sheep

Sheep are susceptible experimentally to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the clinical signs being indistinguishable from those of scrapie. Because of the possibility of natural ovine BSE infection, laboratory tests are needed to distinguish between scrapie and BSE infection. The objectives of this study were to determine whether (1) PrPSc accumulates in biopsy samples of the tonsil or third eyelid, or both, of BSE-infected sheep before the appearance of clinical disease, and (2) such samples from BSE- and scrapie-infected sheep differ in respect of PrPSc accumulations. Homozygous ARQ sheep (n = 10) were dosed orally at 4-5 months of age with a brain homogenate from BSE-infected cattle. Third eyelid and tonsillar biopsy samples were taken at < or = 6 monthly intervals post-infection and examined immunohistochemically for PrPSc. Third eyelid protuberances were difficult to identify, resulting in many unsuitable samples; however, third eyelid samples shown to contain lymphoid follicles were invariably negative for PrPSc. In contrast, tonsillar biopsy samples became positive for PrPSc from 11 to 20 months post-infection. Consistent differences in the morphology of PrPSc granules in tingible body macrophages (TBMs) between BSE- and scrapie-infected sheep were detected with anti-peptide antibodies directed towards amino acids 93-106 of the ovine prion protein: thus, PrPSc appeared as single granules in TBMs of tonsillar sections from BSE-infected sheep, whereas clusters of PrPSc granules were observed within TBMs in the tonsils of scrapie-infected sheep. In contrast, antibodies against epitopes situated N- and C-terminally from the 93-106 region of the ovine prion protein revealed no differences between BSE- and scrapie-infected sheep in terms of PrPSc granules in TBMs.

Pathology and pathogenesis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie.

In common with other prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), scrapie of sheep and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are characterized by grey matter vacuolation and accumulation of an abnormal isoform of the host prion protein (PrP) in the central nervous system (CNS). In apparent contrast with human disease, neither neuronal loss nor gliosis are invariable features of the pathology of domestic food animal TSEs. In sheep, accumulation of abnormal PrP may also occur in the lymphoreticular and peripheral nervous systems where it may be detected within months of birth. The involvement of tissues other than CNS is influenced by dose, PrP genotype of the host and strain of TSE agent. Although many different strains of scrapie agent have been isolated in rodents following serial passage of affected sheep brain tissue, the significance of these murine strains for natural sheep scrapie, and the extent to which different sheep scrapie strains occur naturally are uncertain. Whereas the consistent vacuolar pattern in the brains of BSE-affected cattle suggests a single strain of agent, the patterns of vacuolation in sheep scrapie are highly variable and cannot be easily used to define strain. In sheep scrapie, immunohistochemistry can be used to visualize different morphological types of abnormal PrP within individual brains. These different types of PrP accumulation seem to be associated with different brain cell types and with variation in the processing of abnormal PrP. When assessed in whole brain, different patterns of PrP accumulation are helpful in distinguishing between different sheep scrapie strains and also between ovine BSE and natural sheep scrapie.

Estimating the human health risk from possible BSE infection of the British sheep flock.

Following the controversial failure of a recent study and the small numbers of animals yet screened for infection, it remains uncertain whether bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was transmitted to sheep in the past via feed supplements and whether it is still present. Well grounded mathematical and statistical models are therefore essential to integrate the limited and disparate data, to explore uncertainty, and to define data-collection priorities. We analysed the implications of different scenarios of BSE spread in sheep for relative human exposure levels and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) incidence. Here we show that, if BSE entered the sheep population and a degree of transmission occurred, then ongoing public health risks from ovine BSE are likely to be greater than those from cattle, but that any such risk could be reduced by up to 90% through additional restrictions on sheep products entering the food supply. Extending the analysis to consider absolute risk, we estimate the 95% confidence interval for future vCJD mortality to be 50 to 50,000 human deaths considering exposure to bovine BSE alone, with the upper bound increasing to 150,000 once we include exposure from the worst-case ovine BSE scenario examined.

Florid plaques in ovine PrP transgenic mice infected with an experimental ovine BSE.

The occurrence of the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), raises the important question of the sources of human contamination. The possibility that sheep may have been fed with BSE-contaminated foodstuff raises the serious concern that BSE may now be present in sheep without being distinguishable from scrapie. Sensitive models are urgently needed given the dramatic consequences of such a possible contamination on animal and human health. We inoculated transgenic mice expressing the ovine PrP gene with a brain homogenate from sheep experimentally infected with BSE. We found numerous typical florid plaques in their brains. Such florid plaques are a feature of vCJD in humans and experimental BSE infection in macaques. Our observation represents the first description, after a primary infection, of this hallmark in a transgenic mouse model. Moreover, these mice appear to be a promising tool in the search for BSE in sheep.