On July 31, USDA APHIS confirmed classical scrapie in a sheep slaughtered in an Oregon facility. APHIS and state animal health officials recently initiated an investigation to determine the flock of origin. Scrapie is a neurodegenerative and chronic disease that affects small ruminants with a fatal outcome. The affected animal did not have an ear tag, which may limit traceability. Scrapie is typically contracted during pregnancy and newborn lamb periods, which is why locating the flock of origin is so essential to the investigation. “The importance of official scrapie tags cannot be understated,” said Cindy Wolf, DVM and American Sheep Industry Association’s Animal Health Council co-chair. ASI will continue working with APHIS and the Oregon Department of Agriculture to support the investigation. Finding this case demonstrates the strength and ability of this program to detect such rare disease and highlights the exceptional progress made possible by producer participation.
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