Detection of PrP^BSE and prion infectivity in the ileal Peyer's patch of young calves as early as 2 months after oral challenge with classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

ABSTRACT: In classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE), an orally acquired prion disease of cattle, the ileal Peyer's patch (IPP) represents the main entry port for the BSE agent. In earlier C-BSE pathogenesis studies, cattle at 4-6 months of age were orally challenged, while there are strong indications that the risk of infection is highest in young animals. In the present study, unweaned calves aged 4-6 weeks were orally challenged to determine the earliest time point at which newly formed PrP^BSE and BSE infectivity are detectable in the IPP. For this purpose, calves were culled 1 week as well as 2, 4, 6 and 8 months post-infection (mpi) and IPPs were examined for BSE infectivity using a bovine PrP transgenic mouse bioassay, and for PrP^BSE by immunohistochemistry (IH

SUBMITTER: Ackermann I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5738053 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature