Author
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Alverson, Janet |
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Submitted to: Trade Journal Publication
Publication Type: Trade Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 2/23/2004 Publication Date: 3/1/2004 Citation: Alverson, J. 2004. Scrapie: A Research Update. The Paddock. 1(1):1-2. Interpretive Summary: Scrapie is best known as a degenerative fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep, but it also can occur in goats. It is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), and the infectious agent is thought to be an abnormal form of a protein normally found in sheep cells called a prion. Scrapie was first recognized as a disease of sheep in Great Britain and other countries of Western Europe more than 250 years ago, and is now endemic in many parts of the world. The first case of scrapie in the United States was diagnosed in 1947 in a Michigan flock where sheep of British origin had been imported through Canada for several years. Scrapie has primarily been reported in the Suffolk breed in the United States, but it has also been diagnosed in Border Leicester, Cheviot, Corriedale, Cotswold, Dorset, Finnsheep, Hampshire, Merino, Montadale, Rambouillet, Shropshire, Southdown, and a number of crossbreeds. Although there is no evidence suggesting that sheep scrapie poses a human health risk, it has the potential to cost the sheep industry millions of dollars in lost production. Infected flocks that contain a high percentage of susceptible animals can experience significant production losses. The presence of scrapie in the United States prevents the export of breeding stock, semen, and embryos to many other countries. The USDA has established a National Scrapie Eradication Program in the United States and encourages sheep and goat owners to participate. Technical Abstract: Scrapie is best known as a degenerative fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep, but it also can occur in goats. It is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), and the infectious agent is thought to be an abnormal form of a protein normally found in sheep cells called a prion. Scrapie was first recognized as a disease of sheep in Great Britain and other countries of Western Europe more than 250 years ago, and is now endemic in many parts of the world. The first case of scrapie in the United States was diagnosed in 1947 in a Michigan flock where sheep of British origin had been imported through Canada for several years. Scrapie has primarily been reported in the Suffolk breed in the United States, but it has also been diagnosed in Border Leicester, Cheviot, Corriedale, Cotswold, Dorset, Finnsheep, Hampshire, Merino, Montadale, Rambouillet, Shropshire, Southdown, and a number of crossbreeds. Although there is no evidence suggesting that sheep scrapie poses a human health risk, it has the potential to cost the sheep industry millions of dollars in lost production. Infected flocks that contain a high percentage of susceptible animals can experience significant production losses. The presence of scrapie in the United States prevents the export of breeding stock, semen, and embryos to many other countries. The USDA has established a National Scrapie Eradication Program in the United States and encourages sheep and goat owners to participate. |
