Abstract
THE nature of the scrapie agent remains obscure. It shows an unusual resistance to heat1 and ultraviolet radiation2, and cannot be inactivated by treatment with lipid solvents3 or formalin4. It resists treatment with proteases and nucleases5,6. Its size is quite small and has been estimated to be 27 mµ by cellulose nitrate membrane filtration7, and 7 mµ by X-ray target size determination2. No neutralizing antibody against scrapie has been detected in animals with the disease, nor could any antibodies be induced in rabbits injected with large quantities of scrapie-containing material7. Yet scrapie is considered an infectious agent, and it has been placed in the category of slow viruses because of its prolonged incubation period (1–2 yr in sheep; 4–6 months in mice).
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KATZ, M., KOPROWSKI, H. Failure to demonstrate a Relationship between Scrapie and Production of Interferon in Mice. Nature 219, 639–640 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/219639a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/219639a0
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