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South East Branch |
Scrapie
The breed is fortunate in having the right genetic makeup to show generally excellent results in the testing for scrapie. There is now a National Scrapie Ram Register run by DEFRA, which can be found from http://www.ramregister.defra.gov.uk/search.aspx. This contains details of every ram which has tested under the NSP with resistant genotypes and therefore have a current Certificate allowing them to be sold. Everyone has access and it allows potential buyers to search for rams of a particular breed and genotype.
You can search under breed and then either for the animals or specific owners. However, if you are looking for a particular owner you need to understand that DEFRA's view of listing in alphabetical order is somewhat unusual. If they have been given a name including initials of Christian names, the listing is made under the first initial rather than the first letter of the surname. If they have been given a name with either Mr. or Messrs. or Mrs. or Ms., it will be listed under 'M' and not the first letter of the surname. Also you need to give the name in the Search box exactly as it is listed or it will come up as unknown. Given this quirk, first search under the first letter of the surname and, if that has no effect, search under the first initial (e.g. A. Smith under 'A' rather than under 'S') and then under 'M' for Mr./Messrs./Mrs./Ms, if you can't find it under the initial.
The accuracy of the Ram Register is dependant on owners notifiying DEFRA of sales, deaths, and any other alteration of circumstances.
Future of the Ram Genotyping Scheme
Eblex Sheep Practical Pointers, February 2007 [Adobe Reader is required]
(Adobe Reader is freeware which can be downloaded from
here)
Fully funded scrapie testing ‘no longer appropriate’
By Howard Walsh
THE sheep industry has been given 12 months to decide what it wants to do about scrapie testing following a decision that full Government funding of a ram genotyping scheme (RGS) is no longer appropriate.
In consultation with stakeholders this summer, farming Ministers in England Scotland and Wales will decide whether there should be a cost-shared scrapie genotyping scheme in the future, or whether the scheme should close altogether.
In the meantime, testing visits already scheduled will go ahead and those whose NSP contracts expire at the end of March will be offered a further 12-month extension, fully funded. But ewes will no longer be tested to make up numbers.
The GB National Scrapie Plan RGS was reviewed during the second half of 2006, following an EU decision to reject proposals for compulsory scrapie resistance testing in purebred and pedigree flocks.
The review included an examination of the underpinning science by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) and an assessment of the benefits gained from the RGS over the last five years.
SEAC concluded that, based on latest research and surveillance testing, the prevalence of BSE in the UK sheep population was likely to be zero, or very low, if present at all and the current RGS would have little impact on public health protection.
The RGS will remain open to all members until the outcome of the consultation, but no ewes will be tested after April 1 this year.
National Sheep Association chief executive Peter Morris said the 12-month extension and consultation was a sensible move and it was pleasing that the original reason for its implementation was no longer an issue.
Also, the number of scrapie cases nationally was falling and from an economic point of view, scrapie was not a hugely significant disease, though it remained an animal health issue. He said it was difficult to predict which way interested parties would swing.
Farmers Guardian | 2 February, 2007
http://www.farmersguardian.com/
Atypical Cases of Scrapie Found
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has detected a type of scrapie not previously reported in Great Britain. The finding was made during a survey of abattoir and fallen stock samples. The VLA recognised the possibility of 'atypical' cases of scrapie last year when scientists detected a small number of samples that produced contradictory results when tested with different methods. More
NSP Test Certificates and Genotype Boluses
Safeguard your own future and that of your flock. More
SCRAPIE GENOTYPING AND THE NATIONAL SCRAPIE PLAN; WHAT THEY ARE, HOW THEY AFFECT YOU AND HOW TO USE THEM TO YOUR BEST ADVANTAGE
- Scrapie genotyping is a blood test which identifies whether sheep are
resistant or susceptible to scrapie. It does not indicate whether a sheep is
infected with scrapie.
- Scrapie genotypes, expressed in the form of a six letter code, enable
breeders to make informed decisions about their future breeding policies and
help to breed sheep resistant to scrapie.
- Scrapie genotypes are easy to understand and follow the simple theory of
heredity. Scrapie resistant sheep confer a level of resistance to their
offspring depending on their mating.
- a) Mating two fully resistant sheep with each other results in fully
resistant offspring.
b) Mating a fully resistant sheep with a semi-resistant sheep results in some fully resistant offspring and some semi-resistant offspring.
c) Mating a fully resistant sheep with a susceptible sheep results in semi-resistant offspring.
d) Mating two semi-resistant sheep results in some fully resistant offspring, some semi-resistant offspring and some susceptible offspring.
e) Mating two susceptible sheep results in susceptible offspring.
- Scrapie resistant sheep of all breeds are already commanding premiums in
both pedigree and commercial breeding sales. This trend will continue as UK and
EU policy moves towards excluding non-resistant sheep from the human food
chain.
- The National Scrapie Plan is a government funded and internationally
recognised initiative which provides free scrapie genotyping to purebred flocks
in England, Wales and Scotland.
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