Organisation à l’INRA des observations et expérimentations sur des animaux modèles ou agronomiques infectés par une Encéphalopathie Spongiforme Transmissible

The investments at INRA for the study of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) in animal populations, on farms or in experimental conditions are describedn: a large scale PrP gene genotyping laboratory, the experimental farm of Langlade where sheep submitted to natural scrapie are followed, an important protected animal building (Installations Nationales Protegees pour l’etude des Encephalopathies Spongiformes Transmissibles “INPREST”) for large farm animals, the sheep house of the Toulouse National Veterinary School (ENVT), the protected rodent buildings on the INRA sites of Nouzilly and Jouy-en-Josas and Toulouse (ENVT). All these investments give scientists the means necessary to carry out their investigations on the physiopathology of animal TSE, the genetic determinants of the sensitivity/ resistance of these pathologies, the nature of the pathogenic agent and notably its variability as well as the evaluation of risks and the diagnostic.