Transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to sheep and goats
Foster, J.D.; Hope, J.; Fraser, H.
Veterinary Record 133(14): 339-341
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 8236676 Document Number: 406274
Spongiform encephalopathy has been confirmed in both 'positive' and 'negative' lines of Cheviot sheep (selected for their differential response on experimental exposure to scrapie) after intracerebral injection or oral dosing with brain homogenate derived from cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). With either challenge the incubation period of the disease ranged from 440 to 994 days in both lines of sheep. In a similar experiment, 3 Anglo-Nubian goats developed the disease 506 to 570 days after intracerebral infection with the same BSE homogenate, and 2 of 3 goats developed the disease 941 and 1501 days after oral dosing, the other goat and some sheep from each of the experimental groups remained alive 1720 days after exposure. This is the first report of the experimental transmission of BSE to sheep and goats.