CWD question

[AlabamaSwamper]

For you experts, how did CWD find its way to Europe and suggest Southeast Asia in wild herds?

 

[ADR]

I'm by far an expect but was educated on this subject through school for my profession. One of the earlier and maybe earliest known infections of prion or prion like disease was found in an aborigine tribe i believe in Africa. A ritual they held was to eat the brains of the deceased tribal members. It was observed that many of the tribe started succumbing to neurological disease. At the time of my education, it was believed that this occurred due to a mutation in a protein that resulted in the beta pleaded sheet protein that is now referred to as a prion.
That's what a prion is at a simple level is a misguided or malformed protein that results in a beta pleated sheet. So to answer your question, unless the scientific community has changed their stance, simple mutations cause the misfolded protein initially.
Hope that answers your question.

 

[BSK]

For you experts, how did CWD find its way to Europe and suggest Southeast Asia in wild herds?

As for Europe, exactly how it developed in free-ranging cervids is not known, but it is genetically different than North American CWD.

North American CWD is very transmissible both through the environment (shed prions) as well as animal-to-animal. That is because it came from scrappie in sheep which has the same pathology. However, European CWD does not appear to be very transmissible environmentally, and is only transmissible animal-to-animal for those animals genetically susceptible, which is not all cervids there.

 

[BSK]

I'm by far an expect but was educated on this subject through school for my profession. One of the earlier and maybe earliest known infections of prion or prion like disease was found in an aborigine tribe i believe in Africa. Can't recall the name of the tribe but something like "Kung". A ritual they held was to eat the brains of the deceased tribal members. It was observed that many of the tribe started succumbing to neurological disease. At the time of my education, it was believed that this occurred due to a mutation in a protein that resulted in the beta pleaded sheet protein that is now referred to as a prion.
That's what a prion is at a simple level is a misguided or malformed protein that results in a beta pleated sheet. So to answer your question, unless the scientific community has changed their stance, simple mutations cause the misfolded protein initially.
Hope that answers your question.

Actually, it was the cannibalistic tribes of Borneo where human transmissible CJD was first studied. But yes, it came from eating infected brain tissue. In addition, humans spontaneously get CJD at a rate of 1 in 1,000,000 people (genetic mutation).

 

[ADR]

Actually, it was the cannibalistic tribes of Borneo where human transmissible CJD was first studied. But yes, it came from eating infected brain tissue. In addition, humans spontaneously get CJD at a rate of 1 in 1,000,000 people (genetic mutation).

Thank you,
That was 20 years ago so some of the details are fuzzy. And yes I'm familiar with CJ disease and CJ like disease.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

So I if worldwide mass testing was done how many other countries would find some form of it in wild herds?

And that makes me wonder if those that say it's always been around are right.

I've read where several in the profession has said they'd not even known it was there if they didn't test.

I still can't figure out why deer that are near death are not found.

 

[BSK]

So I if worldwide mass testing was done how many other countries would find some form of it in wild herds?

And that makes me wonder if those that say it's always been around are right.

I've read where several in the profession has said they'd not even known it was there if they didn't test.

I still can't figure out why deer that are near death are not found.

A naturally occurring form of the disease DOES spontaneously exist. We humans get it. I'm sure other wild animals do as well, as the cases in Scandanavia can attest. And it has been around in sheep for over 1,000 years. However, the current form of CWD in North American cervids came from sheep in a research facility in Colorado. The transmission is known and has been studied. THIS FORM of Transmissible Spongiform Encepholapathy (TSE) is fairly contagious between animals and through the environment. And cervids near death in the wild are found all the time. I've talked to quite a few biologists working in the hottest CWD Zones that tell me they find severely malnourished deer stumbling around and near death fairly frequently.

However, I'll be the first to tell you I believe the formula the TWRA is using to combat the disease is a HUGE mistake. It will not slow the spread and all it will do is harm the resource (deer populations) further. In essence, the supposed "cure" is worse than the disease.

 

[BigAl]

I read where it was suspected that CWD might have actually traveled to Norway on the boots of hikes or hunters. No proof exists of how it got there. They classify two types of CWD, typical and atypical. I do not know the difference.

 

[TX300mag]

i saw a deer several weeks ago on the side of HWY45 in town (Selmer I think it was) that was standing in a strange posture surrounded by several vehicles (I think city and police). Made me think that this was possibly a symptomatic infection, but I don't know.

 

[BSK]

i saw a deer several weeks ago on the side of HWY45 in town (Selmer I think it was) that was standing in a strange posture surrounded by several vehicles (I think city and police). Made me think that this was possibly a symptomatic infection, but I don't know.

Could have been EHD as well. It usually peaks right now and deer will act very strange, standing with people around, acting disoriented.

 

[BSK]

I read where it was suspected that CWD might have actually traveled to Norway on the boots of hikes or hunters. No proof exists of how it got there. They classify two types of CWD, typical and atypical. I do not know the difference.

The CWD present in Scandanavia is not the same as the CWD here. Different genetics, different pathology.