Scrapie - It's Down But Not Out: Says Mike Dawson, former Veterinary Advisor to the NSP

摘要

In 1997 I wrote in the Sheep Farmer that 'prospects for control of scrapie have never been better'. Now, 15 years on, with the National Scrapie Plan's (NSP) Ram Genotyping Scheme (RGS) having closed in early 2009,1 think it is fair to say that scrapiecases are rare. In 2002 there were 403 cases confirmed in suspect animals reported by farmers, and only three in 2011. It is possible that not all suspect cases are reported, but data from ongoing annual surveillance (20,000 brains from management cullsand fallen stock) shows a steady decline.