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Scrapie is an infectious wasting disease affecting the nervous system of adult sheep and is very difficult to control.  It has been a notifiable disease in the UK since 1993 and is one of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.  The causal agent is resistant to normal disinfection procedures and the disease has a long incubation period.  There is no cure, no vaccine, the condition is fatal and animal pass on their genetic susceptibility to the next generation.

Scrapie Monitoring Scheme

Flock masters wishing to export breeding sheep and goats throughout the EU may have their flock or herd monitored under the provisions of the Scrapie Monitoring Scheme administered by the SAC PSGHS.  Registered flocks and herds undergo an annual flock inspection and brains from a proportion of adult animals are screened for the disease.  Members of the Scrapie Monitoring Scheme must ensure that any fallen sheep and certain culled animals over 18 months of age are tested for evidence of Scrapie.  Please see the scheme rules for further details.

Scrapie Genotyping

Scrapie gene testing enables flock masters to select breeding sheep which are resistant to Scrapie.  Animals can be tested at any age using a blood or semen sample.  Testing is usually limited to stud rams, ram lambs retained for breeding and ewes being selected for embryo transfer.  Scrapie genotyping is not a test for the presence of the disease but does reveal if the animal were to be exposed to the disease, what chance it has of contracting it.