Browsing by Subject "chronic wasting disease"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Examining covariates influencing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease among white-tailed deer
    (2024-10) Jack, Alexander
    Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal encephalopathy that is found in at least seven species within the family Cervidae. The disease is caused by the aggregation of misfolded PrP protein in the nervous tissues of the host and was first observed during the 1960s in four captive cervid research facilities in Colorado. However, since its discovery, the range of the disease has ballooned to include most of the contiguous United States, three provinces in Canada, the Korean peninsula, and Scandinavia. Although the pathology of CWD is well-understood, many facets of the disease remain enigmatic. In the first chapter, I examined how interspecific (and conspecific) spread could occur on deer farms by conducting a camera-trap analysis of wildlife interactions both inside and surrounding deer farming facilities. Although this study does not directly address transmission of CWD, it does quantify interactions between wildlife and farmed deer and may help explain how the disease can spread between wild and farmed populations. The second chapter addresses what role winter weather plays in the spread of CWD. Many diseases display fluctuating dynamics mediated by seasonal changes and my second chapter is focused on whether CWD cases in southern Wisconsin could be mediated by winter severity. Collectively, this thesis further underscores the puzzling nature of CWD and points to new areas of research which may help managers and wildlife professionals control its spread.
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    Exploring Novel Immunodiagnostics for Prion Disease
    (2024-08) Shoemaker, Rachel
    Prion Diseases, or Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), are rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative diseases of mammals. TSEs of global importance include Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in cervids, and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. These diseases occur when the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) misfolds, producing the infectious isoform PrPSc,which can readily self propagate with no nucleic acid intermediate. PrPSc aggregates are insoluble self-molecules, which results in a large number of limitations pertaining to the prevention, detection, and treatment of TSEs; including a lack of accessible isoform-specific antibodies. Here, we describe a quantitative PCR method to explore prion protein epitope variability and availability by leveraging proximity ligation technology (PLA). We use a repertoire of nine known monoclonal anti-PrP antibodies to assess differences in prion protein conformations and establish “functional” and “non-functional” antibody probe pairs. In light of our results, we posit that exploring PrPSc strain diversity with available anti-PrP antibodies will lead to the development of ultrasensitive qPCR-PLA Protein Assays for precise detection and quantification of particular PrPSc strains.
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    Genetic analysis of moose populations from Minnesota and Yellowstone National Park
    (2015-12) Tjepkes, Tessa
    By assessing the amount and geographic distribution of genetic variation in moose we can better understand how microevolutionary processes and landscape features have influenced that variation. How the distribution of moose changes in the future will be partially dictated by the amount and content of genetic variation moose populations possess. Therefore, it will be useful to acquire more moose population genetic data and to study declining populations. My thesis had two primary objectives: (1) to compare the efficacy of DNA extraction from different biological samples and (2) to genotype a subset of Minnesota moose at a locus known to be associated with chronic wasting disease in other cervid populations. DNA for genetic analyses was extracted from blood, tissue, and pellets. Extracted DNA from all source types was sufficient for genotyping using 15 microsatellites and Sanger sequencing. However, DNA extracted from pellets was of both lower quality and quantity than DNA extracted from blood and tissue. Minnesota moose contain polymorphisms that have been correlated with increased susceptibility to chronic wasting disease in cervids in other areas. These results provide valuable comparisons of efficiency and effectiveness of DNA extraction protocols for tissue, blood, and fecal pellets as well as baseline population genetic data that can be used to detect future genetic changes in these populations.