As goat owners, understanding diseases that can affect our herds is crucial for maintaining healthy animals and preventing the spread of illnesses. In this episode, Deborah Niemann is joined by Dr. Linda Detwiler, staff veterinarian on the sheep and goat health staff at the USDA APHIS Veterinary Service, to discuss scrapie, a neurological disease affecting sheep and goats.

Dr. Detwiler provides an update on the current state of scrapie in the United States, including its history, transmission, symptoms, testing methods, genetic resistance, and efforts to eradicate it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What scrapie is and why it matters to sheep and goat breeders
• How scrapie is transmitted and its long incubation period
• Symptoms of scrapie in sheep and goats
• Testing methods for live and deceased animals
• The role of genetic resistance in controlling scrapie
• Challenges in eradicating the last few cases of scrapie in the US
• The importance of slaughter surveillance and official ID in disease control
• Current progress toward declaring the US scrapie-free

Key Highlights

• Scrapie is a prion disease with a long incubation period (2–5 years) that affects the brain and spinal cord of sheep and goats.
• The US has not had a reported case of scrapie since January 2021. To be declared scrapie-free by international standards, seven years without a case must pass.
• Genetic resistance plays a significant role in controlling scrapie. Certain genetic markers in sheep (e.g., RR at codon 171) and goats (e.g., K at codon 222) indicate increased resistance.
• Slaughter surveillance has been instrumental in identifying cases. Since its inception in 2003, over 765,000 samples have been tested.
• Official ID is critical for tracing positive cases back to their source and preventing further spread.

Resources Mentioned

• USDA APHIS Veterinary Services
• World Organization for Animal Health

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/scrapie-in-goats-and-sheep/

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