Sludge Watch ==> Prion Protein in Milk

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

This study looks at the presence of the prion protein in milk...and the 
replication of prions in the mammary gland.

So why are we allowing dairy cattle to graze on lands spread with sewage 
sludge ?

Top dressing pasture land with sludge puts the infectious prions in the top 
layer of soil where they are likely to be ingested by cattle or deer as they 
pull up some plants by the roots and ingest the soil.

And what about Los Angeles' "Green Acres" - the Kern County acreage where 
Los Angeles sludge is spread with the sewer wastes of Los Angeles?  Do we 
forget that animal waste from slaughter houses, meat packing plants, and 
renderers ends up at the sewage treatment plant?  These are high risk BSE 
materials.    The 'Green Acres'  crop ... splashed with sludge and all...is 
fed to dairy cows.

'Got Milk'?

..........................................................................................



Prions in Milk . . .humans, cows, sheep and goats . . . 
homogenised/pasteurized off-the-shelf - also present in bodily fluids and 
blood - mastitis
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 13:07:30 -0500




PLoS ONE. 2006 Dec 20

Prion protein in milk.

  a.. Franscini N,
  b.. Gedaily AE,
  c.. Matthey U,
  d.. Franitza S,
  e.. Sy MS,
  f.. Burkle A,
  g.. Groschup M,
  h.. Braun U,
  i.. Zahn R.
Alicon AG Schlieren, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: Prions are known to cause transmissible spongiform 
encephalopathies (TSE) after accumulation in the central nervous system. 
There is increasing evidence that prions are also present in body fluids and 
that prion infection by blood transmission is possible. The low 
concentration of the proteinaceous agent in body fluids and its long 
incubation time complicate epidemiologic analysis and estimation of 
spreading and thus the risk of human infection. This situation is 
particularly unsatisfactory for food and pharmaceutical industries, given 
the lack of sensitive tools for monitoring the infectious agent.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have developed an adsorption matrix, 
Alicon PrioTrap(R), which binds with high affinity and specificity to prion 
proteins. Thus we were able to identify prion protein (PrP(C))-the precursor 
of prions (PrP(Sc))-in milk from humans, cows, sheep, and goats. The 
absolute amount of PrP(C) differs between the species (from microg/l range 
in sheep to ng/l range in human milk). PrP(C) is also found in homogenised 
and pasteurised off-the-shelf milk, and even ultrahigh temperature treatment 
only partially diminishes endogenous PrP(C) concentration.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In view of a recent study showing evidence of 
prion replication occurring in the mammary gland of scrapie infected sheep 
suffering from mastitis, the appearance of PrP(C) in milk implies the 
possibility that milk of TSE-infected animals serves as source for PrP(Sc).

PMID: 17183703 [PubMed - in process]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17183703&query_hl=1&itool=p 
ubmed_docsum