A4O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 14, 2002 Researcher Looks For Test To Detect Scrapie, Other TSEs WOOSTER, Ohio Counting sheep is supposed to help us have a good night sleep. But Ohio sheep farmers whose flocks have been infected with scrapie know that sweet dreams can easily turn into nightmares. Between Oct. 1, 2001, and July 31, 2002, Ohio which boasts 142,000 head of sheep with a value of $19.8 million- reported the highest number of confirmed cases of scrapie (38) and infected flocks (13) in the country, accord ing to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). That’s why Srinand Sreevat san, a researcher with Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Cen ter (OARDC), is developing a test that can detect scrapie and other transmissible spongiform enceph alopathies (TSEs) including bovine spongiform encephalopa thy (BSE, or mad cow disease) in cattle, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in elk and deer, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans- using scrapie as a model. “There is a desperate need for a fast and reliable test for the di agnosis of TSEs in live animals,” said Sreevatsan, whose labora tory is part of OARDC’s Food Animal Health Research Pro gram (FAHRP). “Early detection could lead to efficient surveil lance systems that may avert or control this group of diseases.” Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative 10% Sale on Everything in Stock From December Ist till Christmas!! Just in time for Christmas shopping!! New & Used Push & Gang Mowers, 48” to 11’ wide! 42” & 63” trailmowers & brush cutters! 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Wjß-MWMwsysTE/ws Pmui Generation Systems Specialists 330 Founderwhite Road, Lebanon, PA 17042 Call Leonard Martin 717-273-4544 Fax: 717-273-5186 e-mail- lmartin@pennpowersystems.com disease that affects the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It was inadvertently intro duced into the United States from Europe in 1947. Since then, USDA has reported more than 1,600 confirmed scrapie cases in sheep and 10 cases in goats. There is no cure for scrapie, and death is inevitable once the dis ease is contracted. The agent responsible for scra pie and other TSEs is smaller than the smallest known virus. It’s generally believed to be a prion the abnormal form (PrPsc) of a normal host protein (PrP) that accumulates in the affected brain. How prions kill nerve cells in the brain and lead to serious degerative diseases is still a puz zle. However, Ohio State Univer sity researchers recently discov ered that PrPsc is able to spontaneously form within the cell’s cytosol. Once there, it can convert normal PrP into PrPsc, aiding in the destruction of host nerve cells and helping the dis ease to spread from cell to cell. Sreevatsan is looking for a way to identify prions through clinical samples (blood, serum, tonsil scrapings or cerebrospinal fluid) before the onset of symptoms, which usually occurs two to five years after the animal is infected. Although some tests have been developed in the past, definite di agnosis of scrapie is still only pos sible after death. “The idea is to detect the prion protein, which is folded abnor mally as compared to its normal counterpart, in an animal that’s still living, using non-invasive ap proaches,” Sreevatsan explained. “Identifying infected animals early on will be profitable for the farmers, and it will also be very useful in getting rid of infected animals. Anything that will help both the farmers and public health in general, by preventing a spillover of potentially infected meat or meat products into the food chain, will benefit the ani mal industry a lot.” Scrapie-infected animals tend to itch and pull out their wool (a scraping action that gives the dis ease its name), eat but remain thin, bunny hop, step high with their front feet, rub on objects, bite at their legs, smack their lips, wobble or stumble, shake, and stare up at the sky, among other symptoms. “Not much attention has been paid to the economics of this particular problem,” Sreevatsan said, ever, it is anticipated that TSEs (CWD and scrapie) will have a significant im pact on meat consumption and the acceptability of the carcass, because animals that are infected usually mutilate themselves and are not acceptable for sale.” Decline in meat sales is Lancaster Farming's Classified Ads Get Results! Combination Hoof Care/Vet Chute splatter board, rear foot winch, two front foot winches and a full width belly band and winch to lift the animals weight off their feet. All winches have heavy duty friction brakes providing constant, positive holding action. ALL STEEL PARTS ARE POWDER COATED USING THE PBZ FIVE-STEP PROCESS. Call or write for additional information and the name of your nearest dealer not the only damage caused by scrapie to the U.S. sheep indus try. The presence of the disease here also prevents the export of breeding stock, semen and em bryos to many other countries. In addition, TSEs in general are the subject of increased public atten tion and concern because of the catastrophic effects of mad cow disease in Great Britain and the link between BSE and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in people. According to Sreevatsan, an accurate prion-detection test could also be used to diagnose other TSEs in domestic and wild animals, as well as in humans. The need for such a test is exem plified by concerns regarding the occurrence of CJD in over 30 professional blood donors and the possibility of a mad cow outbreak in the United States. “How- tuscaro^ * HARD^>WOODS 2240 Shermans Valley Road, P.O. BOX 64 ELLIOTTSBURG, PA 17024 (717) 582-4122 Fax: (717) 582-7438 email: sales@tuscarorahardwoods.com Manufacturers of Northern Appalachian Hardwoods “WANTED” Timber orTimberland We pay cash before cutting Manufacturer of Quality Kiln-Dried Lumber Woodland Management Buyer of Standing Timbers FREE Appraisal with NO Obligations, NO Brokerage Fee, NO Hidden Cost “MULCH FOR SALE” Two basic grades to choose from. 3 colors to choose from Red, Black, Brown Paul B. BBDGDQD’IuiaGI Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. 295 Woodcorner Road • Lititz, PA 17543 This highly versatile equipment can be used to secure a cow safely and efficiently for foot care or veterinary services. Side panels and gates easily replace hoof care accessories to create a vet chute where almost any common vet procedure can be performed. Once in the chute with the belly band winched into working position, the cow is safely secured for foot treatment 717/738-7365 1 mile west of Ephrata “Potentially, we could be able to apply the test to detect the prion protein in other animals and humans,” Sreevatsan said. “What is of foremost importance now is to find a tool or a set of tools to identify any infected ani mals and prevent these diseases from getting to people.” Also involved in the prion test project at Sreevatsan’s laboratory are Kaori Takemura, an OARDC postdoctoral research er, and Katie Ringer, a senior neuroscience student at The Col lege of Wooster. For more information on scra pie, contact the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Ohio office at (614) 469-5602 or visit http:// www.a p h i s usda.gov/vs/nahps/scrapie/. Hours Mon - Fn 7 6
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