Biochemical and immunohistochemical characterization of feline spongiform encephalopathy in a German captive cheetah

Feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects domestic cats (Felis catus) and captive wild members of the family Felidae. In this report we describe a case of FSE in a captive cheetah from the zoological garden of Nuremberg. The biochemical examination revealed a BSE-like pattern. Disease-associated scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) was widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous system, as well as in the lymphoreticular system and in other tissues of the affected animal, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and/or immunoblotting. Moreover, we report for the first time the use of the protein misfolding cyclic amplification technique for highly sensitive detection of PrPSc in the family Felidae. The widespread PrPSc deposition suggests a simultaneous lymphatic and neural spread of the FSE agent. The detection of PrPSc in the spleen indicates a potential for prion infectivity of cheetah blood.