Insights Into Animal Diseases

A new study says the spread of animal sicknesses such as Chronic Wasting Disease in deer may
happen more easily because of the way a protein binds to soil. Chuck Quirmbach reports:

Transcript

A new study says the spread of animal sicknesses such as Chronic Wasting Disease in deer may
happen more easily because of the way a protein binds to soil. Chuck Quirmbach reports:


Scientists have known that when an infected animal puts prions, or abnormal protein agents, in
soil the prions can stay alive for a long time. A study has looked at different types of common
soil minerals and found that a type of clay is an especially good binding agent for the prions.


University of Wisconsin researcher Judd Aiken says the link is so good that there’s a much higher
risk of the infection spreading when another animal grazes in the area:


“There was an enhancement of infectivity and we’re estimating roughly a 700-fold enhancement
of infectivity.”


Aiken says it might mean that government efforts to stop the spread of deadly animal brain
diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease in deer or scrapie in sheep may only be as effective as the
type of soil where the animals live.


For The Environment Report, I’m Chuck Quirmbach.

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