A 5-minute soak in a 40% solution of household bleach
decontaminated stainless steel wires coated with chronic wasting disease (CWD)
prions, according to a new study by National Institutes of Health scientists.
The scientists used the wires to model knives and saws that hunters and meat
processors use when handling deer, elk and moose -- all of which are
susceptible to CWD. The research was conducted at Rocky Mountain Laboratories
(RML) in Hamilton, Mont., USA.
CWD is a brain-damaging and fatal prion disease in
cervids, members of the deer family. To date CWD has never
been found in people. However, other prion diseases can affect people,
therefore scientists, wildlife managers and public health agencies have
suggested handling CWD cervid tissues with caution. CWD is spreading in North
America, increasing the potential for human exposure. The disease has been
found in cervids in 26 states and three Canadian provinces, as well as in
Norway, Finland and South Korea. Not all animals infected with CWD will show
signs of disease, but those that do appear weak and thin.
Infectious prions -- types of proteins found in
mammals that when misfolded can cause disease -- are extremely difficult to
inactivate, which led the scientists to seek a practical, low-cost CWD
decontamination method. Bleach has been proven as a decontaminant against other
types of prions but had never been tested against CWD.
CWD prions adhere readily to stainless steel and can
contaminate knives, saws and other equipment. For hunters and others who want
to be cautious when handling potentially CWD-infected animals, the ability to
decontaminate equipment is one approach to reducing potential exposure.
The researchers worked with CWD-infected brains from
white-tailed and mule deer. They tested various bleach concentrations and soak
times to determine the most effective combination to eliminate prion seeding.
Notably, the study failed to find an effective method to decontaminate
CWD-infected solid tissue. Pieces of CWD-infected brain retained prion activity
even after a 30-minute soak in 100% bleach. Investigators note that bleach
fails to penetrate tissues and should be used only as a surface decontaminant.
The scientists hope that public health and wildlife
agencies will consider this study when making formal recommendations for
decontamination of CWD prions.
Katie Williams, Andrew G. Hughson, Bruce Chesebro,
Brent Race. Inactivation of chronic wasting disease prions using sodium hypochlorite.
PLOS ONE, 2019; 14 (10): e0223659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223659

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle,
Pharmaceutical Microbiology
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