CWD bioassay inocula sources.

a<p>Water, feed buckets and bedding from CWD+ deer suites.</p>b<p>Colorado State University deer number 112 (PO brain inoculated deer from previous study<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0005916#pone.0005916-Mathiason1" target="_blank">[27]</a>).</p>c<p>Colorado State University deer number 121 (IC brain inoculated deer from previous study <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0005916#pone.0005916-Mathiason1" target="_blank">[27]</a>).</p>d<p>Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI, USA.</p>e<p>Colorado State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Fort Collins, CO, USA.</p>f<p>Transitioning from pre-clinical to clinical.</p>g<p>Contains brain tissue from deer of pre-clinical and clinical status at terminal field collection.</p

CWD bioassay inoculation cohorts.

a<p>Water, feed buckets and bedding from CWD+ deer suites.</p

Summary of naïve deer exposed to inoculum from CWD+ deer—combined with our previous published findings

<p><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0005916#pone.0005916-Mathiason1" target="_blank">[27]</a>.</p

Western blot results of deer exposed to body secretions and excreta from CWD+ deer.

<p>Western blot demonstration of the typical PK digestion band shift (28–35 kD) associated with prion infection in the brain (medulla oblongata at obex) of deer receiving blood, brain, saliva or environmental exposure, but not urine and feces from CWD-infected donors. Lanes 1–4 represent CWD+/− deer controls (10% brain homogenate of medulla at obex) without and with PK digestion at 25 µg/ml. Lanes 5–12, 10% brain homogenate of blood, brain, urine/feces or saliva inoculated deer without and with PK digestion at 25 µg/ml. Lanes 13–15, brain homogenate from deer environmentally exposed to CWD+ fomites without and with PK digestion at 25 and 50 µg/ml.</p

PrP^CWD detection by longitudinal tonsil biopsy and terminal necropsy.

<p>PrP^CWD detection by longitudinal tonsil biopsy and terminal necropsy.</p

Immunohistochemistry results of deer exposed to body secretions and excreta from CWD+ deer.

<p>PrP^CWD demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in tonsil, brain (medulla oblongata at obex), and retropharyngeal lymph node of deer receiving saliva, blood, or environmental exposure from CWD-infected donors. CWD immunohistochemistry is shown in the medulla at obex (a–j) and either tonsil or retropharyngeal lymph node (k–t). Arrows indicate PrP^CWD staining (red) within brain and lymphoid follicles. Arrow with * indicates lymphoid follicle negative for PrP^CWD.</p