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National Institutes of Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES ehponline.org Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Anticipating Hazards – Searching for Solutions Peter S. Thorne doi:10.1289/ehp.8831 (available at http://dx.doi.org/) Online 14 November 2006 1 Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Anticipating Hazards – Searching for Solutions Report of a Scientific Workshop Peter S. Thorne Send page proofs to: Peter S. Thorne, PhD, Professor, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, 100 Oakdale Campus, IREH, Iowa City, IA 52242-5000. TEL: (319) 335-4216. FAX: (319) 335-4225. Email: peter-thorne@uiowa.edu 2 Running Title: Environmental Health Impacts of CAFOs Key Words: air quality, animal confinements, antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial growth promotants, avian influenza, bioaerosols, livestock, poultry, swine, water quality Commonly used abbreviations in this report: CAFO: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation EHSRC: Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder U.S. EPA: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acknowledgments: This conference was supported by the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa and NIEHS P30 ES05605-S1. The authors thank Susan Kaliszewski, Robin Ungar, Jenn Cook and Laura McCormick for handling the numerous arrangements for the conference and Nancy Newkirk for organization and editing of these workgroup reports. 3 Manuscript Outline Abstract Introduction Summary of Workshop Recommendations References 4 Abstract A scientific conference and workshop was held in March 2004 that brought together environmental scientists from North America and Europe to address major environmental health issues associated with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which are large, industrialized livestock production facilities. After one and a half days of plenary sessions, five expert workgroups convened to consider the most relevant research areas including: respiratory health effects; modeling and monitoring of air toxics; water quality issues; influenza pandemics and antibiotic resistance; and community health and socioeconomic issues. The Workgroup Reports that follow outline the state of the science and public health concerns relating to livestock production as they apply to each workgroup topic. The reports also identify areas where further research is needed and suggest opportunities to translate science to policy initiatives that would effect improvements in public and environmental health. Viable solutions to some of the current environmental health problems associated with CAFOs are outlined. In addition, these reports bring to light several major concerns, including air and water contamination, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in livestock and the specter of influenza outbreaks arising from siting industrialized poultry and swine production in close proximity to each other and to humans. 5 Introduction Dramatic changes in livestock production have occurred over the past two decades. The trend in swine, poultry, and cattle operations has been toward fewer, but increasingly larger operations. Traditional crop-livestock farms were balanced in that livestock manure supplied nutrients to grow the crops to feed those livestock. Farmers raised the quantity of livestock their croplands could support. Industrialized livestock production requires drawing feed from a wide area, often far away, while manure is distributed to a small, local landmass resulting in soil accumulation and runoff of phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants (Iowa State University and University of Iowa Study Group 2002). The consolidation of the livestock industry has been observed throughout North America and Europe and has led to calls for increased regulation to reduce and control the wastes. The State of Iowa, which produces one-fourth of the U.S. pork, exemplifies this trend. The number of farms in Iowa raising hogs decreased from 64,000 in 1980 to 10,500 in 2000 – an 84% decrease – while the average number of hogs per farm increased from 250 to 1,430 over this same period (Otto and Lawrence 2000). Farms with over 500 hogs now account for 65% of the statewide inventory and 75% of the U.S. inventory. The results of the increasing intensity of livestock operations have been regionally levels of air contaminants and increased problems with contamination of surface waters with animal waste. Management practices such as feeding animals with antimicrobial growth promotants and housing poultry and swine in close proximity are additional concerns. Community and neighbor fears of potential adverse human health effects have increased, leading to the formation of citizen action groups in many locales. These groups have lobbied government officials at the local and regional levels to promulgate and enforce regulations to reduce environmental impacts and health hazards from nearby CAFOs. A Town Meeting sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the University of 6 Iowa, Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (EHSRC) was held in Des Moines, Iowa in 2001 to bring stakeholders together to seek common ground. This Town Meeting gave producers, concerned citizens and regulators the opportunity to air the issues. Many areas of discord were identified and a need for better translation of science to policy was recognized. Findings from the 2001 Town Meeting prompted the EHSRC to organize this scientific conference and workshop held in Iowa City, Iowa which brought together experts in environmental science from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands to address major environmental health issues associated with CAFOs. The conference audience was comprised of scientists, agriculturalists, producer group representatives, environmental and community activists, government officials and rural residents. Five workgroups of scientists convened to further consider the major topics and identify the state of the science. Their reports follow. These reports outline the scientific issues and public health concerns relating to livestock production as it applies to each workgroup topic and identify areas where further research is needed. They also suggest opportunities to translate science to policy initiatives that would advance public and environmental health. Summary of Workshop Recommendations The Workgroup on Health Effects of Airborne Exposures from CAFOs found that there is a lack of data on the health effects of odors and complex mixtures emanating from CAFOs (Heederik et al. 2006). They also identified a need for research on susceptibility of people for ill health from CAFO exposures based on age, gender or genetic makeup. This workgroup expressed the view that international harmonization is needed for analytical methods for exposure assessment of biological agents such as bacterial 7 endotoxin, fungal glucan, and other pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Additionally, they noted that recent advances have identified less invasive approaches for collection of body fluids from which more sensitive biomarkers of response can be measured. They recommended that panel studies be performed among susceptible populations exposed to CAFO emissions, as this approach would be most effective for determining responsible agents and disease mechanisms. In terms of science translation to policy, they recommended that best practices for occupational hygiene be promoted for the livestock industry and that exposure standards for organic dust, biological agents and toxic gases should be promulgated and enforced across the industry. The Workgroup on Modeling and Monitoring of Emissions from CAFOs noted that the downstream concentrations of airborne effluents from CAFOs are not well understood (Bunton et al. 2006). They recommended establishment of monitoring networks for hydrogen sulfide and ammonia using many low-cost passive monitors and a lesser number of expensive realtime monitors. Some monitors should be located in relatively pristine areas away from livestock operations to characterize background levels in rural areas. There is a further need for particulate monitoring accompanied by analysis of adsorbed malodorous vapors and gases, since these appear to travel up to a kilometer from the source. This Workgroup found that additional studies should be conducted seeking to identify links between specific agents ascribed to CAFO emissions and health outcomes in the rural community. In terms of modeling fate and transport from livestock operations, the Workgroup found that additional data are needed on emission 8 rates from manure storage tanks or lagoons, land-applied manure, and livestock buildings that are tied to animal inventories and management practices . The Workgroup determined that modeling has advanced as a science and should be better utilized for decisions on permitting, siting and waste management of CAFOs. Further refinements should include models that account for chemical transformation of effluents and models that provide long-term concentration distributions at a regional level. The Workgroup on Impacts of CAFOs on Water Quality listed several priority research areas including monitoring of whole watersheds in order to understand the effects of extreme events on ecosystem health, toxicologic assessment of water contaminants from CAFOs, and studies of primary effluents and metabolites in soils, sediments and water (Burkholder et al. 2006). This Workgroup recommended surveillance programs for rural private well water in areas at high risk for contamination. They suggested that effective waste and wastewater treatment practices known for managing human wastes, augmented with emerging technologies, should be translated into practice to prevent consumption of emerging contaminants, such as veterinary pharmaceuticals (including antibiotics and anabolic hormones). The Workgroup identified a need for implementation of best management practices through education and regulation to reduce release of CAFO contaminants into surface waters and aquifers. The Workgroup on The Potential Role of CAFOs in Infectious Disease Epidemics and Antibiotic Resistance raised concerns about the practice of co-locating swine and poultry facilities and the specter of a global pandemic arising from new strains of avian 9 influenza incubated in swine and transmitted to humans (Gilchrist et al. 2006). They recommended that minimum separation distances should be established and that animals should not be fed tissues, fecal matter, or contaminated water from other animals. This Workgroup stated that solid tanks for storage of manure and municipal style waste treatment are necessary to limit microbial contamination of soil and water, prevent access to waterfowl and limit the spread of disease. The Workgroup strongly endorsed phasing out the use of antimicrobial agents as growth promotants in the U.S., as is happening in the European Union and was called for by the World Health Organization and dozens of scientific and medical organizations. One complication is a difference between the U.S. and the European Union animal industries’ interpretation of the terms, “growth promoter” and “therapeutic use.” In the U.S., some routine, non-therapeutic uses of antibiotics are not considered to be growth promotion, while in the European Union, they are defined as such. At the time Denmark phased out antibiotic use for animal growth promotion, all remaining antibiotic uses with animals were administered by prescription only. This phase-out resulted in an overall drop in antibiotic use of about 54%. On the other hand, the U.S.-based Animal Health Institute has in the past stated that only about 10% of antibiotic use in U.S. animal production is for "growth promotion," and that 90% is for "therapeutic use," and almost all U.S. antibiotics used in animal production are available over-the-counter. This differentiation is important, as a phase-out of antibiotics used for “growth promotion” as defined in the U.S. would likely result in a much smaller reduction (10%) than the phase-out of “growth promotion” in Denmark (54%), given that Denmark’s numbers include some antibiotics administered routinely for disease prevention or therapy. The Workgroup identified a need to establish national surveillance programs to track the transmission of antimicrobial resistant organisms from livestock to humans and to identify ecological reservoirs and impacts. 10 Fingerprinting of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a necessary component and will allow characterization of changes in resistance profiles over time. The Workgroup on Community Health and Socioeconomic Issues Surrounding CAFOs considered the impacts of industrialization of livestock production on rural communities in terms of economics, social capital and quality of life (Donham et al. 2006). They recommended comprehensive community health studies comparing physical, mental and social health outcomes, and economic conditions in comparable communities with and without large livestock operations. This Workgroup noted that much of the research funding for agriculture is directed toward non-sustainable production and recommended that funds be reoriented to sustainable systems. The Workgroup concurred that there is sufficient information on the hazards of CAFOs to communities that a more measured approach to siting and permitting of facilities and waste management is needed and that permits should consider watershed level animal density and dispersion of airshed emissions. Permitting decisions should also include greater involvement of communities through public hearings and open meetings. The Workgroup suggested that permits for manure storage reservoirs should require bonding in order to ensure that spills will be cleaned up and manure lagoons will be decommissioned rather than abandoned, should the producer become insolvent. There was general agreement among all workgroups that the industrialization of livestock production over the past three decades has not been accompanied by commensurate modernization of regulations to protect the health of the public, or 11 natural, public-trust resources, particularly in the U.S. While the European Union has made greater strides, there is room for further improvements in the control of air and water pollutants from CAFOs in Europe as well as the U.S. Expansion of large CAFOs into Central and Eastern Europe and South America is occurring without attention to lessons learned from health and environmental problems in the U.S. and Western Europe. Major concerns exist over the role of intensive livestock production in influenza outbreaks and the emergence of antibiotic resistant organisms. Recent attention to these risks among the scientific community, the public and governments is encouraging. References Iowa State University and the University of Iowa Study Group. 2002. Iowa Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Air Quality Study, University of Iowa, pp. 1-221. Available: http://www.ehsrc.org [accessed 10 October 2005] Otto D, Lawrence J. 2000. The Iowa Pork Industry 2000: Trends and Economic Importance, ISU Economics Working Paper. Available: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/outreach [accessed 10 October 2005] Heederik D, Sigsgaard T, Thorne PS, Kline JN, Avery R, Chrischilles EA, et al. 2006. Health Effects of Airborne Exposures from CAFOs, Environ Health Perspect, this issue . 12 Bunton B, O’Shaughnessy P, Fitzsimmons S, Gering J Hoff S, Lyngbye M, et al. 2006. Modeling and Monitoring of Emissions from CAFOs, Environ Health Perspect, this issue. Burkholder J, Libra B, Weyer P, Heathcote S, Kolpin D, Thorne PS, et al. 2006. Impacts of CAFOs on Water Quality, Environ Health Perspect, this issue. Gilchrist M, Greko C, Thorne PS, Wallinga D, Riley D, Beran G. 2006. The Potential Role of CAFOs in Infectious Disease Epidemics and Antibiotic Resistance, Environ Health Perspect, this issue . Donham K, Wing S, Osterberg D, Flora J, Hodne C, Lewis L, et al. 2006. Community Health and Socioeconomic Issues Surrounding CAFOs, Environ Health Perspect, this issue,. http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8831/8831.pdf Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Dick Heederik, Torben Sigsgaard, Peter S. Thorne, Joel N. Kline, Rachel Avery, Jacob Bønløkke, Elizabeth A. Chrischilles, James A. Dosman, Caroline Duchaine, Steven R. Kirkhorn, Katarina Kulhankova and James A. Merchant doi:10.1289/ehp.8835 (available at http://dx.doi.org/) Online 14 November 2006 Health Effects of Airborne Exposures from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Workgroup Report: “Environmental Health Impacts of CAFOs: Anticipating Hazards – Searching for Solutions.” March 29-31, 2004, Iowa City, Iowa Members Dick Heederik, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands (Co-Chair) Torben Sigsgaard, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark (Co-Chair) Peter S. Thorne, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA Joel N. Kline, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA Rachel Avery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Jacob Bønløkke, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark Elizabeth A. Chrischilles, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA James A. Dosman, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Caroline Duchaine, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Steven R. Kirkhorn, National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield, WI, USA Katarina Kulhankova, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA James A. Merchant, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, Abstract Toxic gases, vapors and particles are emitted from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) into the general environment. These include ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, malodorous vapors and particles contaminated with a wide range of microorganisms. Little is known about the health risks of exposure to these agents for people living in the surrounding areas. Malodor is one of the predominant concenrs and indications exist that psycho-physiological changes may occur as a result of exposure to malodorous compounds. There is a paucity of data regarding community health effects related to low level gas and particulate emissions. Most information comes from studies among workers in these installations. Research over the last decades has shown that microbial exposures, and especially endotoxin exposure, are related to deleterious respiratory health effects, of which cross-shift lung function decline, and accelerated decline over time are the most pronounced effects. Studies in naïve subjects and workers have shown respiratory inflammatory responses related to the microbial load. The working group concluded that there is a great need to evaluate health effects due to exposures that originate from CAFOs and are emitted into the general environment. Research should not only focus on nuisance and odors but also on potential health effects from microbial exposures focusing on susceptible subgroups, especially asthmatic children and the elderly, since these exposures have been shown to be related to respiratory health effects among workers in CAFOs. FULL TEXT 26 PAGES ; http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8835/8835.pdf Community Health and Socioeconomic Issues Surrounding CAFOs Kelley J. Donham, Steven Wing, David Osterberg, Jan L. Flora, Carol Hodne, Kendall M. Thu and Peter S. Thorne doi:10.1289/ehp.8836 (available at http://dx.doi.org/) Online 14 November 2006 Abstract A consensus of the Workgroup on Community and Socioeconomic Issues was that “Improving and sustaining healthy rural communities depends on integrating socioeconomic development and environmental protection.” The workgroup agreed that the World Health Organization’s definition of health, “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” applies to rural communities. These principles are embodied in the following main points agreed upon by this workgroup. Healthy rural communities ensure: a) the physical and mental health of individuals; b) financial security for individuals and the greater community; c) social well being; d) social and environmental justice, and; e) political equity and access. This workgroup evaluated impacts of the proliferation of CAFOs on sustaining the health of rural communities. Recommended policy changes include a more stringent permitting process for CAFOs, considering bonding for manure storage basins, limitations on animal density per watershed, enhanced local control, and mandated environmental impact statements. FULL TEXT 25 PAGES ; http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8836/8836.pdf The Potential Role of CAFOs in Infectious Disease Epidemics and Antibiotic Resistance Mary J. Gilchrist, Christina Greko, David B. Wallinga, George W. Beran, David G. Riley and Peter S. Thorne doi:10.1289/ehp.8837 (available at http://dx.doi.org/) Online 14 November 2006 Abstract The industrialization of livestock production and the widespread use of non-therapeutic antimicrobial growth promotants has intensified the risk for the emergence of new, more virulent, or more resistant microorganisms. These have reduced the effectiveness of several classes of antibiotics for treating infections in humans and livestock. Recent outbreaks of virulent strains of influenza have arisen from swine and poultry raised in close proximity. This Working Group considered the state of the science around these issues and concurred with the World Health Organization call for a phasing-out of the use of antimicrobial growth promotants for livestock and fish production. We also agree that all therapeutic antimicrobial agents should be available by prescription only for both human and veterinary use. Concern about the risk of an influenza pandemic leads us to recommend that regulations be promulgated to restrict the co-location of swine and poultry CAFOs on the same site and to set appropriate separation distances. FULL TEXT 21 PAGES ; http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8837/8837.pdf Monitoring and Modeling of Emissions from CAFOs: Overview of Methods Bryan Bunton, Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Sean Fitzsimmons, John Gering, Stephen Hoff, Merete Lyngbye, Peter S. Thorne, Jeffrey Wasson and Mark Werner doi:10.1289/ehp.8838 (available at http://dx.doi.org/) Online 14 November 2006 Abstract This workgroup report is the outgrowth of a conference entitled, “Environmental Health Impacts of CAFOs: Anticipating Hazards – Searching for Solutions,” held March 29-31, 2004 in Iowa City, Iowa. Accurate monitors are required to determine ambient concentration levels of contaminants emanating from Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), and accurate models are required to indicate the spatial variability of concentrations over regions affected by CAFOs. A thorough understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of concentration levels could then be associated with locations of healthy individuals or subjects with respiratory ailments to statistically link the presence of CAFOs to the prevalence of ill health effects in local populations. This workgroup report covers a description of the instrumentation currently available for assessing contaminant concentration levels in the vicinity of CAFOs and reviews plume dispersion models that may be utilized to estimate concentration levels spatially. Recommendations for further research with respect to ambient air monitoring include accurately determining long-term average concentrations for a region under the influence of CAFO emissions using a combination of instruments based on accuracy, cost, and sampling duration. In addition, development of instruments capable of accurately quantifying adsorbed gases and volatile organic compounds is needed. Further research with respect to plume dispersion models includes identifying and validating the most applicable model for use in predicting downwind concentrations from CAFOs. Additional data are needed to obtain reliable emission rates from CAFOs. FULL TEXT 28 PAGES; http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8838/8838.pdf Impacts of Waste from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) on Water Quality JoAnn Burkholder, Bob Libra, Peter Weyer, Susan Heathcote, Dana Kolpin, Peter S. Thorne and Michael Wichman doi:10.1289/ehp.8839 (available at http://dx.doi.org/) Online 14 November 2006 Abstract Waste from agricultural livestock operations has been a long-standing concern with respect to contamination of water resources, particularly in terms of nutrient pollution. However, the recent growth of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) presents a greater risk to water quality due to both the increased volume of waste and to contaminants that may be present (e.g. antibiotics and other veterinary drugs) that may have both environmental and public health importance. Based on available data, generally accepted livestock waste management practices do not adequately or effectively protect water resources from contamination with excessive nutrients, microbial pathogens, and pharmaceuticals present in the waste. Impacts on surface water sources and wildlife have been documented in many agricultural areas in the United States. Potential impacts on human and environmental health from long-term inadvertent exposure to water contaminated with pharmaceuticals and other compounds are a growing public concern. The workgroup identified needs for rigorous ecosystem monitoring in the vicinity of CAFOs, and for improved characterization of major toxicants affecting the environment and human health. Lastly, there is a need to promote and enforce best practices to minimize inputs of nutrients and toxicants from CAFOs into freshwater and marine ecosystems. FULL TEXT 30 PAGES; http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8839/8839.pdf J Gen Virol 87 (2006), 3737-3740; DOI 10.1099/vir.0.82011-0 Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at least 16 years Gudmundur Georgsson1, Sigurdur Sigurdarson2 and Paul Brown3 1 Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur v/vesturlandsveg, IS-112 Reykjavík, Iceland In 1978, a rigorous programme was implemented to stop the spread of, and subsequently eradicate, sheep scrapie in Iceland. Affected flocks were culled, premises were disinfected and, after 2?3 years, restocked with lambs from scrapie-free areas. Between 1978 and 2004, scrapie recurred on 33 farms. Nine of these recurrences occurred 14?21 years after culling, apparently as the result of environmental contamination, but outside entry could not always be absolutely excluded. Of special interest was one farm with a small, completely self-contained flock where scrapie recurred 18 years after culling, 2 years after some lambs had been housed in an old sheep-house that had never been disinfected. Epidemiological investigation established with near certitude that the disease had not been introduced from the outside and it is concluded that the agent may have persisted in the old sheep-house for at least 16 years. http://www.healthtech.com/2007/tse/day1.asp Subject: Prions Adhere to Soil Minerals and Remain Infectious and Remain Infectious Joel A. Pedersen3,4* 1 Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 2 Department of Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 3 Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 4 Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America An unidentified environmental reservoir of infectivity contributes to the natural transmission of prion diseases (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies [TSEs]) in sheep, deer, and elk. Prion infectivity may enter soil environments via shedding from diseased animals and decomposition of infected carcasses. Burial of TSE-infected cattle, sheep, and deer as a means of disposal has resulted in unintentional introduction of prions into subsurface environments. We examined the potential for soil to serve as a TSE reservoir by studying the interaction of the diseaseassociated prion protein (PrPSc) with common soil minerals. In this study, we demonstrated substantial PrPSc adsorption to two clay minerals, quartz, and four whole soil samples. We quantified the PrPSc-binding capacities of each mineral. Furthermore, we observed that PrPSc desorbed from montmorillonite clay was cleaved at an N-terminal site and the interaction between PrPSc and Mte was strong, making desorption of the protein difficult. Despite cleavage and avid binding, PrPSc bound to Mte remained infectious. Results from our study suggest that PrPSc released into soil environments may be preserved in a bioavailable form, perpetuating prion disease epizootics and exposing other species to the infectious agent. Citation: Johnson CJ, Phillips KE, Schramm PT, McKenzie D, Aiken JM, et al. (2006) Prions adhere to soil minerals and remain infectious. PLoS Pathog 2(4): e32. DOI: 10.1371/ journal.ppat.0020032 snip... PLoS Pathogens | www.plospathogens.org April 2006 | Volume 2 | Issue 4 | e32 0007 Sorption of Prions to Soil http://pathogens.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-pdf&file=10.1371_journal.ppat.0020032-L.pdf Epidemiology Update March 23, 2006 > The calf was appropriately disposed of in a local 3:30 Transmission of the Italian Atypical BSE (BASE) in Humanized Mouse Models SEE STEADY INCREASE IN SPORADIC CJD IN THE USA FROM He estimates that it may be up to 14 or 15 persons which display selectively SPRPSC and practically no detected RPRPSC proteins. Research Project: Study of Atypical Bse Location: Virus and Prion Diseases of Livestock Project Number: 3625-32000-073-07 Project Type: Specific C/A Start Date: Sep 15, 2004 End Date: Sep 14, 2007 Objective: The objective of this cooperative research project with Dr. Maria Caramelli from the Italian BSE Reference Laboratory in Turin, Italy, is to conduct comparative studies with the U.S. bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) isolate and the atypical BSE isolates identified in Italy. The studies will cover the following areas: 1. Evaluation of present diagnostics tools used in the U.S. for the detection of atypical BSE cases. 2. Molecular comparison of the U.S. BSE isolate and other typical BSE isolates with atypical BSE cases. 3. Studies on transmissibility and tissue distribution of atypical BSE isolates in cattle and other species. Approach: This project will be done as a Specific Cooperative Agreement with the Italian BSE Reference Laboratory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, in Turin, Italy. It is essential for the U.S. BSE surveillance program to analyze the effectiveness of the U.S diagnostic tools for detection of atypical cases of BSE. Molecular comparisons of the U.S. BSE isolate with atypical BSE isolates will provide further characterization of the U.S. BSE isolate. Transmission studies are already underway using brain homogenates from atypical BSE cases into mice, cattle and sheep. It will be critical to see whether the atypical BSE isolates behave similarly to typical BSE isolates in terms of transmissibility and disease pathogenesis. If transmission occurs, tissue distribution comparisons will be made between cattle infected with the atypical BSE isolate and the U.S. BSE isolate. Differences in tissue distribution could require new regulations regarding specific risk material (SRM) removal. http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/projects/projects.htm?ACCN_NO=408490 Page 5 of 98 8/3/2006 snip... http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/2006-0011/2006-0011-1.pdf [Docket No. 03-025IFA] FSIS Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk 03-025IFA THE SEVEN SCIENTIST REPORT *** Full Text Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Singeltary, Sr et al. JAMA.2001; 285: 733-734. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/285/6/733?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=dignosing+and+reporting+creutzfeldt+jakob+disease&searchid=1048865596978_1528&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=jama TSS
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