News Finding: The study shows how the progression of prion diseases to the brain is slowed if animals have previously been infected with a gut worm.
Paper Finding: Thus, co-infection with small intestine-restricted helminth pathogens around the time of oral prion exposure may be important factors that can influence prion disease pathogenesis in naturally affected host species.
News Context: Gut worms may hinder the spread of prions to the brain
  
  A study of an infectious brain condition that destroys nerve cells helps to explain why some individuals may be at more risk than others. The study shows how the progression of prion diseases to the brain is slowed if animals have previously been infected with a gut worm. The study showed that in animals that had previously been infected with a gut worm, the spread of the prions to the brain was reduced, delaying the onset of disease.
Paper Context: Minor oral (lingual) lesions can enhance susceptibility to CWD prions in cervid PrP-expressing transgenic mice by facilitating direct neural invasion 26 . Instead our data suggest that oral prion disease pathogenesis is significantly altered when the density or the status of the cells utilized by prions to establish infection within small intestinal Peyer's patches is affected, including: M cells 22 ; MNP 34 (current study); and FDC 16 . Thus, co-infection with small intestine-restricted helminth pathogens around the time of oral prion exposure may be important factors that can influence prion disease pathogenesis in naturally affected host species.