Histidine at codon 154 of the prion protein gene is a risk factor for Nor98 scrapie in goats.

Prion protein gene (PRNP) polymorphisms are involved in modulating the appearance of atypical/Nor98 scrapie in sheep, with the alleles AHQ and AF141RQ strongly associated with occurrence of the disease. The presence of histidine at codon 154 has also been detected in Nor98-affected goats, but statistical analysis of the association between Nor98 and goat PRNP polymorphisms has not been reported previously. Here, a case-control study was carried out on eight Nor98-positive goats and 246 negative herdmates belonging to eight Italian Nor98 scrapie outbreaks. The results revealed that histidine at codon 154 is also strongly associated with the disease in goats.