Polar bear Knut died of rare autoimmune disease – nieuws.be

Niels Kruyt
abp=”1339″ 27-8-15 – 16:55 Knut (December 5, 2006 – March 19, 2011) was after his birth by his mother disowned. The audience favorite from the Berlin Zoological Garden drowned tragically in 2011. © ap.

Polar Bear Knut, once the main attraction of the zoo in Berlin, appears not deceased to a viral infection. The polar bear was suffering from a rare autoimmune disease that has never before been identified in animals. That German scientists unveil Thursday in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.

The disease caused a encephalitis causing Knut had seizures. One attack was fatal. On March 19, 2011, visitors could see how confused the bear turned laps before he fell into the water and drowned his stay.

Flu
abp=”1350″ The autopsy revealed that Knut had encephalitis. The veterinarians thought a long time that this was the result of a virus infection, but failed to find the responsible pathogen. Knut have appeared had the flu, could be dead according to the researchers explain.

When brain scientist Harald Prüss read the autopsy report of Knut, he saw similarities with its findings in the study of brain diseases in humans.

In the future treatment can prevent the death of many animals

Alex Greenwood, animal expert

It was Prüss that the antibodies in Knuts blood were similar to the antibodies which he studied in 2010 in people with unexplained encephalitis. He enlisted the help of Alex Greenwood, animal expert Knut had examined earlier.

Slices brains
abp=”1366″ They examined the slices brains of the polar bear who all this time had been preserved, the presence of antibodies. They discovered that Knut antibodies in his brains had antibodies that were very similar to those of people with so-called anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. A disease in which own antibodies attack the brains.

Since 2007 is known to be an inflammation of the brain in humans does not always have to be caused by a virus or a bacterium, but also may be the result of an autoimmune reaction. Normally antibodies protect from intruders, but in autoimmune antibodies attack the individual’s immune system’s own cells.

The condition is according to Greenwood on treating people well. ,, In the future, the treatment could also be given to animals, ” he says in The Guardian. ,, Thus, the death of many animals can possibly be avoided. “” Because Knut before his sudden death showed no obvious symptoms, Greenwood does not think that Knut could have been saved.

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