Masters Defense

Influence of Dissolved Organic Matter on RT-QuIC for the Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Freshwater Systems

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting cervids, including deer, moose, reindeer, and elk. As the geographic range and prevalence of CWD continues to spread, concern regarding environmental transmission and long-term persistence has increased. Cervids shed prions into the environment through urine, saliva, feces, decomposing tissue, and other biological materials. Once introduced to the environment, prions can bind to soils and aquatic sediments, where they remain infectious for years, posing a long-term risk for disease transmission.