Fig 3. Detection of PrP^CWD in third eyelids of pre-symptomatic deer by RT-QuIC.

CWD prions were detected by RT-QuIC in the third eyelid of a 96GG deer as early as 1 month post-inoculation. RT-QuIC analysis of 96GG negative-control (black), 96GG (blue), 96GS (red), and 96SS (green) third eyelids collected in chronological order of months post-inoculation (MPI). 6 samples displayed statistically significant RT-QuIC amyloid seeding: 1219, 1218, 1207, 1203, 1215, and 1205 (****p < 0.0001, ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05, two-tailed Mann-Whitney test) when compared with respective negative control tissues. Each third eyelid sample is represented by the mean and standard deviation from at least eight replicate wells.