- More than 2 years ago
A new study suggests how prions—the infectious agents that cause such disorders as chronic wasting disease—behave in soil and landfills.
Previous work showed that prions can persist in soil for 3 years or more, notes Joel A. Pedersen at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He and his colleagues are interested in the environmental transmission of prions to animals and the risks of disposing of infected carcasses in landfills.