Abstract
Scrapie and chronic wasting disease are two prion diseases of particular environmental concern, as they are horizontally transmissible. Prions are shed from diseased hosts in a diverse set of biologic matrices. There is strong experimental evidence that soil and water chemistry as well as other environmental factors can significantly affect prion sorption, resistance to degradation, persistence, replication efficiency when bound to soil, and ultimately prion infectivity. A more thorough understanding of the interaction of prions with the environment in combination with robust detection methods may lead to the means to reduce or eliminate prion disease in free-range and captive animal populations as well as mitigate the risk of zoonotic prion transmission.