23 - Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE) Flashcards
List 3 features that make prions unique?
- prolonged incubation period
- progressive debilitating neurological dz
- fatal
- no inflammatory response
- survive UV radiation, not destoryed by cooking
(also caused by infective proteins -> prions!)
How is BSE transmitted?
- Feeding of animal feeding having contaminated meat and bone meal as a protein source
- Suspected agent came from scrapie-affected sheep or cattle w/ previously unIDed TSE
All suspect cattle are killed, sent for Dx, then incinerated
Remove and incinerate head, spinal cord, spleen, tonsils, intestines and thymus
Cattle going into food chain are slaughtered before 30mo of age
Ban importation of live ruminants and most ruminant products
Outreach and education to vets, producers and lab diagnosticians
Active surveillance, esp of downer cows
Any normal cattle targeted for BSE surveillance testing will no longer be marked as “inspected and passed” until confirmation is receive
Ban air-injection stunning cattle
Ban mechanically separated meat in human food
Ban feeding of most mammalian use of proteins to ruminants
Identify 3 key differences between “classic” CJD and “variant” CJD
cCJD = iatrogenic/sporadic, older age of onset, shorter duration of dz, sparse plaques, 40% cerebellar signs
vCJD = consumption of contaminated bovine meat/nerve tissue, younger age of onset, long duration of dz, 100% cerebellar signs
Different clinical and pathological presentations
Provide two recommendations to hunters about reducing the risk of CWD exposure
Do not harvest, handle or consume any wild animals that appear to be sick/very thing
Do not consume brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes (from deer and elk)
Wear rubber gloves when dressing carcasses
Use knives and equipment dedicated to field dressing
Remove loins as boneless cuts (do not split backbone)
Min handling of brain and spinal tissues
Wash hands and equipment thoroughly
