JVMS : Vol. 64 (2002) , No. 9 pp.855-858

A Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in an Elk Imported to Korea from Canada

Hyun-Joo SOHN¹⁾, Jae-Hoon KIM¹⁾, Kang-Seuk CHOI¹⁾, Jin-Ju NAH¹⁾, Yi-Seok JOO¹⁾, Young-Hwa JEAN¹⁾, Soo-Whan AHN¹⁾, Ok-Kyung KIM¹⁾, Dae-Yong KIM²⁾ and Aru BALACHANDRAN³⁾

1) National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service
2) Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University
3) Animal Disease Research Institute, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

(Received 13-Mar-2002)
(Accepted 8-May-2002)

ABSTRACT. A seven-year-old male elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) was euthanized and necropsied after having a 3-week history of body weight loss, emaciation, excessive salivation, teeth grinding, fever, anorexia, and respiratory distress. The elk was imported into Korea from Canada on March 9, 1997. Gross pathologic findings were restricted to a diffuse fibrinous pneumonia. Microscopic lesions included mild neuronal vacuolation and spongiform change in the neuropil of selected brain stem nuclei and generalized astrocytosis. Immunohistochemistry for protease-resistant prion protein (PrP^res) was positive in all brain sections but more pronounced in the section of the obex of the medulla. And the PrP^res was also detected by western immunoblotting in the brain and spinal cord. All the remaining elk and deer that had been in contact with this elk were destroyed and negative for chronic wasting disease (CWD). To our knowledge, this is the first case of CWD occurring outside of the U.S.A. and Canada.

KEY WORDS: chronic wasting disease, elk, immunohistochemistry

	To cite this article:
	Hyun-Joo SOHN, Jae-Hoon KIM, Kang-Seuk CHOI, Jin-Ju NAH, Yi-Seok JOO, Young-Hwa JEAN, Soo-Whan AHN, Ok-Kyung KIM, Dae-Yong KIM and Aru BALACHANDRAN “A Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in an Elk Imported to Korea from Canada”. J. Vet. Med. Sci.. Vol. 64: 855-858. (2002) .

	doi:10.1292/jvms.64.855
	JOI JST.JSTAGE/jvms/64.855