Definir o risco de Doença Emaciante Crónica dos cervídeos em Portugal

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), a natural transmission prion endemic disease affecting cervids, difficult to eradicate. Prion diseases are fatal, neurodegenerative, with accumulation of the abnormal isoform of the cellular prion protein PrPc/PrPres. The study of susceptibility/ resistance of cervids to CWD is very important to define its risk of dissemination/development as well as its potential as prion reservoir. The susceptibility/resistance to prion diseases are influenced by polymorphisms in the prnp gene, so, both characterization of prnp genotypic profile in cervids and PrPres survey and georeferencing of TSE affected farms, will contribute to delineate the dissemination risk of CWD in Portugal. We propose to carry out a risk analysis for a potential occurrence of CWD in Portugal through sampling of risk cervids for PrPres detection, genotyping, identification of risk factors and the increase CWD awareness among stakeholders.