Assessment of Palatine Tonsil Testing by ELISA for Chronic Wasting Disease Detection in Free-Ranging Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus).

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting cervids. Transmission occurs through oral and nasal mucosal exposure to infectious prions (PrPCWD), causing cellular prion proteins (PrPC) to misfold. Currently, the approved diagnostic assays for CWD are immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ELISA.

Opisthotonos and unilateral internal hydrocephalus associated with aberrant migration of Serratospiculum sp. or Serratospiculoides sp. in a prairie falcon.

A juvenile, wild-caught prairie falcon ( Falco mexicanus) kept for falconry was presented to a veterinary hospital for intermittent opisthotonos and torticollis. Clinical examination, complete blood count, serum biochemistry panel, and fecal analysis were unremarkable. Clinical signs did not resolve, and the bird was euthanized 6 mo after the appearance of clinical signs.