Prion Protein?

[Bcrazy]

Is There More To Prion Protein Than Mad Cow Disease?
ScienceDaily (Sep. 30, 2008) — Prion protein, a form of protein that triggers BSE, is associated with other brain diseases in cattle, raising the possibility of a significant increase in the range of prion disease. Scientists have now detected changes in the production and accumulation of the prion protein in the brains of cattle with a rare neurodegenerative disorder.
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Martin Jeffrey of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency led a research team that tested 15 brains of cattle with idiopathic brainstem neuronal chromatolysis and hippocampal sclerosis (IBNC). They are the first group to show that the brains of animals with this disease accumulate prion protein (PrP), the protein that misfolds to cause BSE and which, when transmitted to humans through the food chain, can cause the deadly Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
IBNC is a rare neurological disease of adult cattle. It was first characterised in 1988 following laboratory tests from cattle suspected of having BSE. Although IBNC has some clinical similarities to BSE, the brains of affected cattle do not have the neuronal vacuolation (lesions) typical of BSE

I wonder if this type of Prion protein might in some way bee accredited to CCD? I am not a scientist but just an ordinary beekeeper that cherishes his bees.

Regards;

 

[Richard Bache]

I wonder if this type of Prion protein might in some way bee accredited to CCD? I am not a scientist but just an ordinary beekeeper that cherishes his bees.

Regards;

Hi Mo!
I doubt it. There aren't many prion diseases known, but the ones that I know of are either genetically determined (eg classical CJD) or due to ingestion of other prions (eg vCJD, BSE, Kuru). They generally take a long time to develop, and therefore the relatively short life of the honeybee, as well as their vegetarian nature would make it unlikely.