First identification of camel prion disease in Tataouine, Tunisia: an emerging animal prion disease in North Africa

Amara, A.; Di Bari, M. A.; Elmehatli, K.; Bruno, R.; Andolsi, R.; Chiappini, B.; Vanni, I.; Esposito, E.; Riccardi, G.; Ben Abid, O. A.; Marcon, S.; Malek, A.; Ben Smida, B.; Kessa, H.; Chandoul, W.; Handous, M.; Khorchani, R.; Nonno, R.; Zrelli, M.; Agrimi, U.; Vaccari, G.; Pirisinu, L.

doi:10.1101/2025.09.17.675824

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.09.17.675824

First identification of camel prion disease in Tataouine, Tunisia: an emerging animal prion disease in North Africa

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Abstract

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and animals. Among these, camel prion disease (CPrD) was recently identified in Algeria as a novel disease. In this study, we report six CPrD cases in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) from Tunisia, providing further evidence of its occurrence in North Africa. Affected animals exhibited neurological signs and showed PrPSc accumulation in both brain and lymphoid tissues. Molecular and pathological analyses revealed features consistent with Algerian CPrD cases and distinct from classical scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The detection of PrPSc in lymphoid organs, together with the relatively young age of some affected individuals, suggests the possibility of a contagious etiology, including potential vertical or early-life transmission mechanisms, as observed in scrapie and chronic wasting disease affecting small ruminants and cervids, respectively. These findings underscore the need for continued surveillance and further investigation into the epidemiology, transmission mechanisms and potential public health implications of CPrD.

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Amara, A., Di Bari, M. A., Elmehatli, K., Bruno, R., Andolsi, R., Chiappini, B., Vanni, I., Esposito, E., Riccardi, G., Ben Abid, O. A., Marcon, S., Malek, A., Ben Smida, B., Kessa, H., Chandoul, W., Handous, M., Khorchani, R., Nonno, R., Zrelli, M., Agrimi, U., Vaccari, G., Pirisinu, L.. 2025-09-17. First identification of camel prion disease in Tataouine, Tunisia: an emerging animal prion disease in North Africa. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.17.675824

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