Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white-tailed deer carcass disposal site
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious prion disorder affecting cervids such as deer, elk, caribou, and moose, causing progressive and severe neurological degeneration followed by eventual death. As CWD prions (PrPSc) accumulate in the body, they are shed through excreta and secreta, as well...
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Prion |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19336896.2025.2514947 |
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| author | Madeline K. Grunklee Stuart S. Lichtenberg Nicole A. Lurndahl Marc D. Schwabenlander Diana L. Karwan E. Anu Li Jason C. Bartz Qi Yuan Peter A. Larsen Tiffany M. Wolf |
| author_facet | Madeline K. Grunklee Stuart S. Lichtenberg Nicole A. Lurndahl Marc D. Schwabenlander Diana L. Karwan E. Anu Li Jason C. Bartz Qi Yuan Peter A. Larsen Tiffany M. Wolf |
| author_sort | Madeline K. Grunklee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious prion disorder affecting cervids such as deer, elk, caribou, and moose, causing progressive and severe neurological degeneration followed by eventual death. As CWD prions (PrPSc) accumulate in the body, they are shed through excreta and secreta, as well as through decomposing carcasses. Prions can persist in the environment for years, posing significant concerns for ongoing transmission to susceptible cervids and pose an unknown risk to sympatric species. We used a validated protocol for real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) in vitro prion amplification assay to detect prions in soil collected within and around an illegal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, WTD) carcass disposal site and associated captive WTD farm in Beltrami County, Minnesota. We detected PrPSc in 26 of 201 soil samples across 15 locations within the illegal disposal site and one on the farm that housed the cervids. Importantly, a subset of RT-QuIC positive soil samples was collected from soils where carcasses were recovered, providing direct evidence that environmental contamination resulted from this illegal activity. These findings reveal that improper cervid carcass disposal practices may have important implications for ongoing CWD transmission through the environment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-05abf5cbf75e4e0893bc3059203c23e0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1933-6896 1933-690X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Prion |
| spelling | doaj-art-05abf5cbf75e4e0893bc3059203c23e02025-08-20T02:30:30ZengTaylor & Francis GroupPrion1933-68961933-690X2025-12-0119181910.1080/19336896.2025.2514947Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white-tailed deer carcass disposal siteMadeline K. Grunklee0Stuart S. Lichtenberg1Nicole A. Lurndahl2Marc D. Schwabenlander3Diana L. Karwan4E. Anu Li5Jason C. Bartz6Qi Yuan7Peter A. Larsen8Tiffany M. Wolf9Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USAMinnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USAMinnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USAMinnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USAMinnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USAMinnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USAMinnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USADepartment of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USAMinnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USAMinnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO), St. Paul, MN, USAChronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious prion disorder affecting cervids such as deer, elk, caribou, and moose, causing progressive and severe neurological degeneration followed by eventual death. As CWD prions (PrPSc) accumulate in the body, they are shed through excreta and secreta, as well as through decomposing carcasses. Prions can persist in the environment for years, posing significant concerns for ongoing transmission to susceptible cervids and pose an unknown risk to sympatric species. We used a validated protocol for real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) in vitro prion amplification assay to detect prions in soil collected within and around an illegal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, WTD) carcass disposal site and associated captive WTD farm in Beltrami County, Minnesota. We detected PrPSc in 26 of 201 soil samples across 15 locations within the illegal disposal site and one on the farm that housed the cervids. Importantly, a subset of RT-QuIC positive soil samples was collected from soils where carcasses were recovered, providing direct evidence that environmental contamination resulted from this illegal activity. These findings reveal that improper cervid carcass disposal practices may have important implications for ongoing CWD transmission through the environment.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19336896.2025.2514947CervidCWDenvironmentprion contaminationreal-time quaking-induced conversion assayRT-QuIC |
| spellingShingle | Madeline K. Grunklee Stuart S. Lichtenberg Nicole A. Lurndahl Marc D. Schwabenlander Diana L. Karwan E. Anu Li Jason C. Bartz Qi Yuan Peter A. Larsen Tiffany M. Wolf Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white-tailed deer carcass disposal site Prion Cervid CWD environment prion contamination real-time quaking-induced conversion assay RT-QuIC |
| title | Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white-tailed deer carcass disposal site |
| title_full | Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white-tailed deer carcass disposal site |
| title_fullStr | Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white-tailed deer carcass disposal site |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white-tailed deer carcass disposal site |
| title_short | Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white-tailed deer carcass disposal site |
| title_sort | detection of chronic wasting disease prions in soil at an illegal white tailed deer carcass disposal site |
| topic | Cervid CWD environment prion contamination real-time quaking-induced conversion assay RT-QuIC |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19336896.2025.2514947 |
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