# CWD Prion Shedding and Environmental Contamination: Role in Transmission and Zoonotic Potential

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2020 · $610,969

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emergent highly transmissible prion disease of cervids
(deer, elk). The zoonotic threat to domestic animal species and humans CWD represents
remains poorly understood. A prominent feature of CWD is abundant shedding of prions in
secretions and excretions, thereby facilitating exposure of animals and humans by either direct
and/or indirect/environmental contact. Prions avidly bind to many surfaces, including plant,
metal, and soil constituents, and appear to remain infectious, thus leading to cumulative
persistence in the environment. However, little is known about the impact and zoonotic
transmission risk represented by shed CWD prions. The long-term goal of this research is to
understand the prion/environment interface and thereby develop effective mitigation strategies
to reduce both the spread of CWD and the direct and indirect exposure to humans. The central
hypothesis for this work is that the robust transmission of CWD reflects a unique convergence of
florid prion shedding and avid prion binding to soil constituents, thereby enhancing
environmental persistence and bioavailability. To test this hypothesis we propose the following
specific aims: Aim 1 will determine the amplitude and temporal shedding profile of CWD prions
from the natural cervid host. Almost surely, shedding of prions into the environment contributes
to long-term maintenance of CWD infection in natural settings. We will longitudinally quantify the
level of prions in excreta of CWD infected deer to determine the magnitude of the CWD prion
load introduced into the environment by infected animals. Aim 2 will define the distribution of
CWD prions in simulated and naturally contaminated environments. While prions have been
shown to bind to soil and remain infectious, to date means to directly detect CWD prions in the
environment are still lacking. The results will determine where CWD prions are located in the
environment. Aim 3 will define the factors that control prion bioavailability in the environment. It
is not known how this avid binding affects prion stability, survival, and infectivity in the presence
of environmental degradation processes. The results of this aim will determine whether (or not)
soil binding enhances CWD transmission.
These studies will: (1) Enable more targeted strategies to mitigate the spread and potential risks
of this emerging uncontrolled prion disease in free-ranging animals; (2) Provide insight
regarding the interfaces wherein inter-species CWD prion transmission could occur; and (3)
Determine the practical consequences of prion binding to environmental constituents.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9920665
- **Project number:** 5P01AI077774-10
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** EDWARD Arthur HOOVER
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $610,969
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → 2022-03-10

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9920665

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9920665, CWD Prion Shedding and Environmental Contamination: Role in Transmission and Zoonotic Potential (5P01AI077774-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-14 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9920665. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*