Good Morning, and welcome to another Blogmocracy General Hospital Grand Rounds Lecture Series. Today we are going to cover an emerging disease: Chronic Wasting Disease and Potential Transmission to Humans.
(And Open Thread)
Please read this article: Chronic Wasting Disease and Potential Transmission to Humans
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk is endemic in a tri-corner area of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, and new foci of CWD have been detected in other parts of the United States. Although detection in some areas may be related to increased surveillance, introduction of CWD due to translocation or natural migration of animals may account for some new foci of infection. Increasing spread of CWD has raised concerns about the potential for increasing human exposure to the CWD agent. The foodborne transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to humans indicates that the species barrier may not completely protect humans from animal prion diseases. Conversion of human prion protein by CWD-associated prions has been demonstrated in an in vitro cell-free experiment, but limited investigations have not identified strong evidence for CWD transmission to humans. More epidemiologic and laboratory studies are needed to monitor the possibility of such transmissions.
Do note that CWD has been on the move and has now expanded range:
I would humbly suggest a link between the new exansion of coyotes East as a carrier for CWD. Just a hunch tho. Prions can be carried and transmitted in the blood and CNS fluids.
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a family of rare progressive neurodegenerative disorders that affect both humans and animals. They are distinguished by long incubation periods, characteristic spongiform changes associated with neuronal loss, and a failure to induce inflammatory response.
The causative agents of TSEs are believed to be prions. The term “prions” refers to abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found most abundantly in the brain. The functions of these normal prion proteins are still not completely understood. The abnormal folding of the prion proteins leads to brain damage and the characteristic signs and symptoms of the disease. Prion diseases are usually rapidly progressive and always fatal.
What is a prion:
Please familiarize yourself with this article. It is wiki, but it is accurate.
Prions propagate by transmitting a misfolded protein state. When a prion enters a healthy organism, it induces existing, properly folded proteins to convert into the disease-associated, prion form; the prion acts as a template to guide the misfolding of more proteins into prion form. These newly formed prions can then go on to convert more proteins themselves; this triggers a chain reaction that produces large amounts of the prion form.[6] All known prions induce the formation of an amyloid fold, in which the protein polymerises into an aggregate consisting of tightly packed beta sheets. Amyloid aggregates are fibrils, growing at their ends, and replicating when breakage causes two growing ends to become four growing ends. The incubation period of prion diseases is determined by the exponential growth rate associated with prion replication, which is a balance between the linear growth and the breakage of aggregates.[7] (Note that the propagation of the prion depends on the presence of normally folded protein in which the prion can induce misfolding; animals which do not express the normal form of the prion protein cannot develop nor transmit the disease.)
This altered structure is extremely stable and accumulates in infected tissue, causing tissue damage and cell death.[8] This structural stability means that prions are resistant to denaturation by chemical and physical agents, making disposal and containment of these particles difficult. Prions come in different strains, each with a slightly different structure, and most of the time, strains breed true. Prion replication is nevertheless subject to occasional epimutation and then natural selection just like other forms of replication.[9] However, the number of possible distinct prion strains is likely far smaller than the number of possible DNA sequences, so evolution takes place within a limited space.
coyotes have recently made their way back East. this coincides with the discovery of this variant of CWD from the West.
might just be a coincidence
Fuck Assad. Let the Syrian people decide their destiny.
@ coldwarrior:
mornin cw
mmmm bacon
me, I’m having some sausage balls to go along with my coffee
oh
regarding yesterdays events
we don’t need gun control, we need kook wackjob nut control
bring back mental institutions and lock them the hell up!
@ rain of lead:
Thank Michel Foucault and his “Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason” for this. He was a driving force behind this insanity.
My maternal grandfather passed from CJD about 20 years ago. The “saving grace” if you call it that was that he didn’t linger about bedridden for long.
Good news, the two deer that escaped from captivity that were contained within populations that had confirmed cases of WD, were both recovered and tested negative. Both were from the county contiguous to mine.
Oh, and good morning all.
This is a tweet from David Frum. What can one say?
CW, is it okay with you if I mirror your “UN into Syria?” story on 1389 Blog?
@ 1389AD:
sure
RIX wrote:
my 4 yo shots my makarov pistol (i help her hold it)
@ coldwarrior:
My thanks as well.
ADMIN NOTE:
this lecture will be replaced by a guest post.
see yinz upstairs.
new thread!
So should Chuck Hagel, or Michelle Fluorony be the next secretary of defense? Good Question? Have at it hoss.
theoutsider wrote:
i warned you about your language once already.
now knock it off.
theoutsider wrote:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/12/syrian_jihadists_for.php