Key result
Oral consumption of infectious tissues successfully transmitted Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and scrapie to squirrel monkeys with asymptomatic incubation periods ranging from 23 to 36 months.
Demonstrates that Kuru, CJD, and scrapie can be transmitted to nonhuman primates via oral consumption of infectious tissues.
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Potential oral prion transmission shown in primates; leaves open human risk implications and requires confirmatory studies.
Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease of humans and scrapie disease of sheep and goats were transmitted to squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) that were exposed to the infectious agents only by their nonforced consumption of known infectious tissues. The asymptomatic incubation period in the one monkey exposed to the virus of kuru was 36 months; that in the two monkeys exposed to the virus of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was 23 and 27 months, respectively; and that in the two monkeys exposed to the virus of scrapie was 25 and 32 months, respectively. Careful physical examination of the buccal cavities of all of the monkeys failed to reveal signs or oral lesions. One additional monkey similarly exposed to kuru has remained asymptomatic during the 39 months that it has been under observation.
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Gibbs et al. (1980) studied Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and scrapie (n=6). Oral consumption of infectious tissues was evaluated on Transmission of disease and asymptomatic incubation period. Oral consumption of infectious tissues successfully transmitted Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and scrapie to squirrel monkeys with asymptomatic incubation periods ranging from 23 to 36 months.
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