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Prions are proteinaceous infectious particles
that are made up of abnormal isoforms of naturally
occurring cellular proteins. They lack nucleic
acids and are the smallest of all known infectious
agents.
Prion diseases are also known as transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and cause neurodegenerative
illnesses such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD),
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease)
and Chronic Wasting Disease in deer and elk.
We are interested in the epidemiology of these
pathogens, especially with respect to risks for
animal-to-human transmission.
The following web sites contain detailed information
regarding prion diseases:
National
Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center
CDC
Prion web pages
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