Supporting Dataset for "RT-QuIC Optimization for Prion Detection in Two Minnesota Soil Types" and "Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Soil at an Illegal White-tailed Deer Carcass Disposal Site"

These data describe prion detections in soil using real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay with various metric calculations common to RT-QuIC. The Soil_Cntrl_Expmts_Data.xlsx file contains data from a series of control experiments aimed at optimizing and applying RT-QuIC for the detection of chronic wasting disease prions in environmental soil samples. We focused negative control experiments on refining RT-QuIC and sample processing to use on Minnesota native soils, which included limiting background noise from the samples. Starting on 2023-05-08, we used spiked soil control experiments to distinguish true prion signal from background noise and validate detection reliability. Following soil control experiments, the Soil_Test_Samples_Data.xlsx file describes our sample testing in RT-QuIC collected from our study site, an illegal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, WTD) carcass disposal site and a nearby captive WTD farm in Beltrami County, Minnesota. We analyzed study site soil samples for prion presence to assess potential environmental contamination associated with improper carcass disposal practices.