Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link
Volume 10, Number 6—June 2004
Research

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Infectivity in Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)

Andrew A. Cunningham*Comments to Author , James K. Kirkwood*1, Michael Dawson†2, Yvonne I. Spencer†, Robert B. Green†, and Gerald A.H. Wells†
Author affiliations: *Institute of Zoology, Regent’s Park, London, UK; †Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, UK; Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in Greater Kudu

Main Article

Table 1

Species of zoo animal confirmed as having contracted a novel spongiform encephalopathy contemporaneously with the epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in domestic cattlea

Species No. of cases Reference
Bovidae
Nyala, Tragelaphus angasi
 1
 1
Greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsieros
 6
 2
Gemsbok, Oryx gazella
 1
 1
Arabian oryx, Oryx leucoryx
 1
 3
Scimitar-horned oryx, Oryx dammah
 1
 2
Eland, Taurotragus oryx
 6
 2,4
American bison, Bison bison
 1
 5
Felidae
Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
 10b
 2,5–7
Puma, Felis concolor
 3
 2,9
Ocelot, Felis pardalis
 3
 4,8
Tiger, Panthera tigris
 3
 5
Lion, Panthera leo
 4
 4,5
Asian golden cat, Catopuma temminckii 1c 10

aCases occurred and were born in Great Britain unless stated otherwise.
bThe initial case of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in cheetah occurred in Australia, one case has occurred in the Republic of Ireland and three cases have occurred in France; all were born in Britain apart from the most recently reported case in France (8).
cReported from Australia, born in Germany, and kept for a period in the Netherlands (10).

Main Article

References
  1. Jeffery  M, Wells  GAH. Spongiform encephalopathy in a nyala (Tragelaphus angasi). Vet Pathol. 1988;25:398–9. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. Kirkwood  JK, Cunningham  AA, Wells  GAH, Wilesmith  JW, Barnett  JEF. Spongiform encephalopathy in a herd of greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros: epidemiological observations. Vet Rec. 1993;133:360–4. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Kirkwood  JK, Wells  GAH, Wilesmith  JW, Cunningham  AA, Jackson  SI. Spongiform encephalopathy in an Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) and a greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). Vet Rec. 1990;127:418–20.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. Department for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs. BSE information. 2002; Available from: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/bse-statistics/level-3-tsestat.html
  5. Kirkwood  JK, Cunningham  AA. Spongiform encephalopathies in captive wild animals in Europe, 1986–99. In: Proceedings of the 26th World Veterinary Congress, Lyon; 1999 Sept 23–26. World Veterinary Association; 1999.
  6. Baron  T, Belli  P, Madec  JY, Moutou  F, Vitaud  C, Savey  M. Spongiform encephalopathy in an imported cheetah in France. Vet Rec. 1997;141:270–1. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  7. Vitaud  C, Flach  EJ, Thornton  SM, Capello  R. Clinical observations in four cases of feline spongiform encephalopathy in cheetahs (Acionyx jubatus). European Association of Zoo and Widlife Veterinarians (EAZWV) Second scientific meeting May 21–24, 1998. Chester, UK. p. 133–8.
  8. Lezmi  S, Bencsik  A, Monks  E, Petit  T, Baron  T. First case of feline spongiform encephalopathy in a captive cheetah born in France: PrPsc analysis in various tissues revealed unexpected targeting of kidney and adrenal gland. Histochem Cell Biol. 2003;119:415–22.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. Willoughby  K, Kelly  DF, Lyon  DG, Wells  GAH. Spongiform encephalopathy in a captive puma (Felis concolor). Vet Rec. 1992;131:431–4. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. Young  S, Slocombe  RF. Prion-associated spongiform encephalopathy in an imported Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temmincki). Aust Vet J. 2003;81:295–6. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  11. Bons  N, Mestre-Francés  N, Belli  P, Cathala  F, Gajdusek  DC, Brown  P. Natural and experimental oral infection of nonhuman primates by bovine spongiform encephalopathy agents. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999;96:4046–51. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  12. Baker  HF, Ridley  RM, Wells  GAH, Ironside  JW. Spontaneous spongiform encephalopathy in a monkey. Lancet. 1996;348:955–6. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. Bruce  M, Chree  A, McConnell  I, Foster  J, Pearson  G, Fraser  H. Transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie to mice: strain variation and the species barrier. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1994;343:405–11. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  14. Kirkwood  JK, Cunningham  AA. Epidemiological observations on spongiform encephalopathies in captive wild animals in the British Isles. Vet Rec. 1994;135:296–303. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  15. Cunningham  AA, Wells  GAH, Scott  AC, Kirkwood  JK, Barnett  JEF. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). Vet Rec. 1993;132:68. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  16. Kirkwood  JK, Cunningham  AA, Austin  AR, Wells  GAH, Sainsbury  AW. Spongiform encephalopathy in a greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) introduced into an affected group. Vet Rec. 1994;134:167–8. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  17. Brown  P, Rohwer  RG, Green  EM, Gajdusek  DC. Effect of chemicals, heat and histopathological processing on high-infectivity hamster-adapted scrapie virus. J Infect Dis. 1982;145:683–7.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  18. Fraser  H, Bruce  ME, Chree  A, McConnell  I, Wells  GAH. Transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie to mice. J Gen Virol. 1992;73:1891–7. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. Wells  GAH, Dawson  M, Hawkins  SAC, Austin  AR, Green  RB, Dexter  I, Preliminary observations on the pathogenesis of experimental bovine spongiform encephalopathy. In: Gibbs CJ, editor. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: the BSE dilemma. New York: Springer-Verlag; 1996. p. 28–44.
  20. Dickinson  AG, Meikle  VMH, Fraser  H. Identification of a gene which controls the incubation period of some strains of scrapie agent in mice. J Comp Pathol. 1968;78:293–9. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  21. Wells  GAH, Hawkins  SAC, Green  RB, Spencer  YI, Dexter  I, Dawson  M. Limited detection of sternal bone marrow infectivity in the clinical phase of experimental bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Vet Rec. 1999;144:292–4. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  22. Wells  GAH, Hawkins  SAC, Austin  AR, Ryder  SJ, Done  SH, Green  RB, Studies of the transmissibility of the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to pigs. J Gen Virol. 2003;84:1021–31. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  23. Fraser  H, McBride  PA. Parallels and contrasts between scrapie and dementia of the Alzheimer type and ageing: strategies and problems for experiments involving lifespan studies. In: Traber J, Gispen WH, editors. Senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1985. p. 250–68.
  24. Wells  GAH, Hawkins  SAC, Green  RB, Austin  AR, Dexter  I, Spencer  YI, Preliminary observations on the pathogenesis of experimental bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE): an update. Vet Rec. 1998;142:103–6. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  25. Fraser  H, Foster  J. Transmission to mice, sheep and goats and bioassay of bovine tissues. In: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. A consultation on BSE with the Scientific Veterinary Committee of the Commission of the European Communities held in Brussels, September 14–15, 1993. Bradley R, Marchant B, editors. Document VI/4131/94-EN. Brussels, European Commission Agriculture. 1994. p. 145–159.
  26. European Commission. Update of the opinion on TSE infectivity distribution in ruminant tissues (Initially adopted by the Scientific Steering Committee at its meeting of January 10–11, 2002 and amended at its meeting of November 7–8, 2002) following the submission of (1) a risk assessment by the German Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, food and Agriculture and (2) new scientific evidence regarding BSE infectivity distribution in tonsils; 2002. Available from: http://europa.eu.int./comm/food/fs/sc/ssc/outcome_en.html
  27. Foster  JD, Parnham  DW, Hunter  N, Bruce  M. Distribution of the prion protein in sheep terminally affected with BSE following experimental oral transmission. J Gen Virol. 2001;82:2319–26.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  28. Jeffrey  M, Ryder  S, Martin  S, Hawkins  SAC, Terry  L, BerthelinBaker C, et al. Oral inoculation of sheep with the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). 1. Onset and distribution of disease-specific PrP accumulation in brain and viscera. J Comp Pathol. 2001;124:280–9. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  29. Wells  GAH, Dawson  M, Hawkins  SAC, Green  RB, Dexter  I, Francis  ME, Infectivity in the ileum of cattle challenged orally with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Vet Rec. 1994;135:40–1. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  30. Hadlow  WJ, Kennedy  RC, Race  RE. Natural infection of Suffolk sheep with scrapie virus. J Infect Dis. 1982;146:657–64.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  31. Hadlow  WJ, Kennedy  RC, Race  RE, Eklund  CM. Virologic and neurohistologic findings in dairy goats affected with natural scrapie. Vet Pathol. 1980;17:187–99.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  32. Eklund  CM, Kennedy  RC, Hadlow  WJ. Pathogenesis of scrapie virus infection in the mouse. J Infect Dis. 1967;117:15–22.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  33. Hadlow  WJ, Race  RE, Kennedy  RC. Temporal distribution of transmissible mink encephalopathy virus in mink inoculated subcutaneously. J Virol. 1987;61:3235–40.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  34. Safar  JG, Scott  M, Monaghan  J, Deering  C, Didorenko  S, Vergara  J, Measuring prions causing bovine spongiform encephalopathy or chronic wasting disease by immunoassays and transgenic mice. Nat Biotechnol. 2002;20:1147–50. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar

Main Article

1Present affiliation is Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, UK.

2Present affiliation is National Scrapie Plan Administration Centre, Worcester, UK.

Page created: February 22, 2011
Page updated: February 22, 2011
Page reviewed: February 22, 2011
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
file_external