Brain trust

1. Brain trust Nisha Pawar HONR 299J Spring 2014

2. Chapter 16—Clustering • Current CDC position: sporadic CJD has nothing to do with tainted meat (only variant CJD) • Therefore, beef in the US is safe! • Two things that contradicted these statements…

3. 1) Mice Studies • BSE material injected into mice –expected to only show variant form of CJD • Ended up showing BOTH variant and sporadic CJD • Disproved CDC and USDA claim about variant CJD being the only form that can be related to BSE • Suggests easier transmission from animals

4. 2) Janet Skarbeck • Friend dies from CJD at a relatively young age—decided to investigate further • Discovers at least 15 cases of CJD individuals in the same area that frequented the same racetrack restaurant in NJ • CDC continues to dismiss her findings—deems it highly unlikely because of wide range of meat distribution • Why do you think CDC did not consider contamination of the restaurant a plausible cause for the high frequency of the disease in the area?

5. Japanese Ban on U.S Beef Imports • “The government has put priority on the political schedule between the two countries, not on food safety or human health” –Michiko Kamiyama, Food Safety Citizen Watch http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/business/global/japan-to-ease-restrictions-on-us-beef.html?_r=0

6. Clustering Increased Infection Rates • Neglects the supposed spontaneity of the disease • Italian study—found high prion protein concentration in nasal cavities of CJD patients • Subsequent studies by AdriannoAguzzi found high concentration of prions in muscle tissue and spleen • Also found the disease can be silent—no symptoms but can still transmit disease— “subclinical phase” (Collinge & Hill)

7. CHAPTER 17—MAD DEER • New disease—Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) • Colorado State University has sudden outbreak—70% deaths of their deer population • Possibility that deer came across scrapie agents that caused a recent outbreak in the same area • Horizontal transmission—transferred to other species; also showed successful transmission to cattle brains • Also began spreading to nearby elk population as well as farther distances away, but how? http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2009/09/new-cwd-findings

8. New Technology –IDEXX • New diagnostic tool for diagnosis cattle • Increased number of cases of CWD because diagnosis was more accurate • Initial disbelief of results obtained from new technology

9. CHAPTER 18—MORE TAINTED MEAT • 1998—Doug McEwans dies from CJD at age 30’s • Lesions did not match those of human variant CJD • Thought his death was related to venison consumption but assured by the CDC that it was highly unlikely • CDC uses the fact that large amounts of people that have NOT gotten CWD from eating meat as an explanation to why they cannot be linked • Similar avoidance to BSE by British government

10. Gajdusek— “Zoonosis” • Gajdusek writes a paper with veterinarian • Possibility of wild animals carrying prions silently and spreading it among species • Large numbers of CJD cases related to close interactions with wild animals • Deer—hunting and eating meat • Squirrels—considered a delicacy

11. Aguzzi issues a warning • “The threat-from within posed by CWD needs careful consideration since the evidence that CWD is less dangerous to humans than BSE is less-than complete” • Says we downplayed importance of BSE in the UK but we shouldn’t be underestimating this disease