Award details

Environmental persistence of TSE's in the environment (supporting RO 0698)

Reference	BBS/E/A/00001666
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Robert Somerville
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Roslin Institute
Department	The Roslin Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	104,350
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2007
End date	31/03/2012
Duration	60 months

Abstract

Given the resistant nature of TSE agents, concern has long been raised about enduring infectivity in the environment. Sources of infectivity include diseased animal carcasses as well as bodily fluids from clinical or sub-clinical animals. If this infectivity persists and/or migrates within soil and soil-water then further cases of disease could ensue. In order to investigate this we are performing 2 large scale field experiments in which a series of 301V spiked bovine heads have been interred within soil-filled lysimeters. The heads are serially exhumed and samples collected from within and around the heads analysed for the presence of PrPSc by western blot and for infectivity by bioassay. In parallel, boluses of infectivity have been placed within much larger lysimeters. Soil core samples are collected at various time points and through analyses the aim is to detect the extent to which infectivity has disseminated. In both experiments 2 soil types have been used; a free-draining sandy loam soil and a water-retentive clay soil. Rainwater passing through the lysimeters is also being analysed. To date the year 1 and year 2 heads have been exhumed and core samples have been collected from the large bolus-containing lysimeters at 7 time points. A method for the extraction of PrPSc from soil has been developed and applied to the core samples, however no PrPSc has so far been detected. It was notable that whilst the year 1 and 2 bovine heads were largely decomposed, significant brain material remained within the brain cavity. Samples from both experiments have been extracted and panels of mice have been injected for bioassay. Laboratory studies suggest that TSE infectivity may bind strongly to soil components and is therefore likely to persist in the environment for a considerable period of time. It is envisaged that data acquired can be used to build a predictive model of TSE behaviour in the environment and could influence policy and risk assessment.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	Animal Health, Soil Science, TSEs (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies)
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

I accept the terms and conditions of use (opens in new window)

export PDF file

back to list new search