Human and mouse prion proteins share a structural motif that regulates resistance to common chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion strains. Successful transmission of an emergent strain of CWD prion, H95+, into mice resulted in infection. Thus, emergent CWD prion strains may have higher zoonotic potential than common strains.
Keywords: Canada; cervids; chronic wasting disease; host range; mice; pathogen-host interactions; pathogenicity; prion diseases; prions; prions and related diseases; zoonoses.