The sheep and goat disease scrapie adapted to hamsters was studied as a model for unconventionals low virus diseases which are rare, fatal, spongiform encephalopathies of animals and man characterized by sometimes extreme long incubation periods, an apparent absence of any host immune reaction, and chemically and physically very resistant infectious agents. Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome are the well-known human diseases. ... Zie: Summary