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General Q&A - Section 12

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2.1 Sheep & Goats

Q.1. What is FSA's most recent advice on scrapie and BSE and sheep?
A. Sheep were fed the same feed (MBM) which is thought to have given cattle BSE and laboratory research has shown that sheep can be artificially infected with BSE. There is therefore a possible risk that BSE is in sheep although the disease has never been found in the UK sheep flock. The Agency has launched a review of how it would approach any discovery of BSE in the present UK sheep flock but on the basis of current evidence, is not advising people against eating sheep meat or products.

Goats were also fed the same feed that is thought to have given cattle BSE. BSE has been found in one French goat that died in 2002 and it is possible that a Scottish goat that died in 1990 may have had BSE. Both animals were alive before the total feed bans came into force in 1996 in the UK and in 2001 across Europe. BSE has not been found in the current UK goat population. The FSA will keep people informed as more information becomes available and will update its advice if necessary.

[See questions in the 'BSE & Sheep' and the 'National Scrapie Plan' sections below]

Scrapie in sheep/goats (background)

Q.2. Where can I find answers to questions about scrapie?
A. Answers to a wide range of questions about scrapie are available on the Defra website

Q.3. How many cases of scrapie occur in Great Britain?
A. Tables showing scrapie cases reported and confirmed since 1998 are available on the Defra website:
Although suspicion of scrapie has been notifiable since 1993, there is evidence of under-reporting of scrapie cases in the UK. In December 2001 Defra significantly increased the compensation payable for scrapie cases with the aim of encouraging notification.

Q.4. What are the conventional ways of controlling scrapie?
A. Conventional methods may include selective culling of affected flocks or family lines, prompt removal of afterbirths from lambing pens, and more recently the use of genotyping (a test which looks at the genetic susceptibility to the disease) to breed resistant stock.

Q.5. What are the current statutory controls for scrapie affected animals?
A. There are two aspects to statutory controls for scrapie-affected animals. Firstly, there are statutory controls with regard to individual suspect sheep. Sheep suspected of having any scrapie-like illness are placed under movement restrictions and compulsorily slaughtered unless an alternative diagnosis is made. Compensation is payable for the slaughter of suspect animals. In addition, on a purely precautionary basis, tissues designated as 'Specified Risk Material' (SRMs) are removed from all sheep and goats being slaughtered for human consumption at the abattoir and destroyed.

Secondly, once scrapie has been confirmed by post-mortem examination of the suspect case or cases, there are flock/herd based controls. These European wide control measures were introduced with effect from 1 October 2003 by Council Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 as amended. They apply to sheep flocks and goat herds where scrapie is confirmed on a holding. The Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme(CSFS) was launched in July 2004 in England and Scotland (November 2004 in Wales) to comply with the EU controls. The CSFS requires either whole flock/herd cull, or whole flock genotyping and culling of those sheep with susceptible genotypes where scrapie is confirmed in a flock or herd. Whole herd cull is the only option for goats, as goats are not known to have scrapie resistant genotypes. Compensation is paid for the scrapie susceptible animals culled and destroyed. Once initial CSFS action has taken place, the flock is subject to TSE testing of culled and fallen stock over 18 months for three years from the date when only sheep of the required resistant genotype are present on the affected farm. A full description of the scheme is available on the NSP website at NSP: Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme

Q.6. What is the scrapie monitoring scheme?
A. This is a trade scheme whereby exporters of breeding sheep or goats to other EU Members States can demonstrate that the animals originate from holdings that monitor for scrapie in accordance with Annex VIII of Commission Regulation (EC) 999/2001 of 22 May 2001, (as amended).

Q.7. What are the requirements of the scrapie monitoring scheme?
A. Essentially they are

• the holding is subject to official veterinary checks;
• the animals are marked;
• no case of scrapie has been confirmed on the holding for at least three years;
• female animals are only introduced onto the holding from similarly monitored holdings;
• the animals have been continuously kept on a holding or holdings complying with the above requirements since birth or for the past three years.
• If they are exported to another member state, they comply with the guarantees provided for in that state’s scrapie monitoring programme.
• all animals referred to in Annex III, Chapter A, Part II, point 3 over the age of 18 months which have died or been killed on the holding shall be examined for scrapie in accordance with the laboratory methods laid down in Annex X, Chapter C, point 3.2(b),
• ovine and caprine animals, with the exception of sheep of the (most resistant) ARR/ARR prion protein genotype, shall be introduced into the holding only if they come from a holding which complies with the same requirements.

Q.8. Can any sheep or goat farmer join the scrapie monitoring scheme?
A. Yes, subject to compliance with the rules. Application forms can be obtained at the relevant State Veterinary Service Animal Health Divisional Office.

The National Scrapie Plan (NSP)

Q.9. What are the aims & objectives of the 'National Scrapie Plan'?
A. The objective of the National Scrapie Plan (NSP) is to increase the level of genetic resistance to Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) in the national sheep flock in Great Britain and as a consequence, this should remove the (at present theoretical) risk to human health arising from the possible presence of BSE in sheep.

Q.10. How does the National Scrapie Plan augment current scrapie controls?
A. The NSP enables participating farmers to identify their resistant and susceptible sheep. Scrapie resistant sheep, in particular rams, can be used in a breeding programme to confer resistance to their progeny. Over time this will have a significant impact on the incidence of disease in the flock.
The NSP launched the Voluntary Scrapie Flocks Scheme (VSFS) in April 2004 and was closed to application on 31 March 2005. The VSFS was aimed at flocks that had a case or cases of scrapie between July 1998 and July 2004 when the Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme was introduced. (See Q 5 above). The VSFS uses genotyping to allow owners to identify and cull susceptible animals and use only resistant animals for breeding. Full details of the VSFS are at NSP: Voluntary Scrapie Flocks Scheme.

Q.11. What is scrapie genotyping?
A. A test that uses DNA extracted from white blood cells to look for certain information encoded on the PrP gene to determine an animal's resistance or susceptibility to scrapie. This affects whether a sheep is likely to develop scrapie in its lifetime if exposed to scrapie.

Q.12. How is the NSP progressing?
A. The NSP was launched on 19th July 2001. As of Autumn 2005 over 2 million samples have been genotyped. For further information on the Plan please see the NSP core brief on the knowledge bank, and the NSP pages on the Defra Animal Health website.

Q.13. Will membership of the NSP become compulsory?
A. Yes. Commission Decision 2003/100/EC requires the introduction of compulsory genotype based breeding programmes in all Member States. We are aiming to implement this requirement by introducing a Compulsory Ram Genotyping Scheme during 2006.

Q.14. To which flocks will the Compulsory Ram Genotyping Scheme apply?

All purebred breeding flocks and, in addition, any other flock that produces and sells homebred rams for breeding.

[Return to Questions]

BSE & Sheep

Q.15. Can BSE infect sheep?
A. Sheep have been experimentally infected with BSE indicating a theoretical possibility that some sheep could have contracted BSE through consumption of contaminated feed prior to July 1988 ban on ruminant protein in ruminant feed, in the same way as cattle which contracted BSE. However, the volumes of feed concerned and the inclusion rates for MBM in sheep feed were significantly lower than those for cattle.

Q.16. Why, if the number of cattle with BSE is tailing off, should we be concerned about BSE and sheep?
A. In their report on sheep and TSEs of 14 April 1999 Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) concluded that there was a possibility that some sheep might have been infected with the BSE agent in the same way as cattle through the consumption of contaminated feed prior to July 1988 when ruminant protein was banned from ruminant feed. Any sheep who may have been fed contaminated feed would by now have died or been slaughtered. Also, both the amounts of feed rations consumed by sheep and the amount of ruminant protein included in them were significantly lower than those for cattle. There remains however a possibility that BSE in sheep might behave like scrapie and have been sustained in naturally some sheep. The subgroup made 20 recommendations on developing further research and surveillance for TSEs in sheep including the development of a long-term programme for the control and eradication of scrapie. The National Scrapie Plan (NSP) is intended to meet that recommendation.

Q.17. Where can I go for more information on BSE in sheep?
A. The Food Standard Agency provides a great deal of information and advice on the theoretical risk of BSE in sheep. This is available on the Agency's website.

The Agency is not advising against the consumption of sheep meat.

Q.18. Is the Government investigating if BSE exists in the national flock?
A. Yes. All scrapie positive samples that are submitted to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) are tested for the presence of BSE. To date the VLA have tested all scrapie positive samples dating back to 1998 and have not detecting any BSE-like results. This is over 2,700 samples.

Q.19. What is the scope of the Governments research into TSEs in sheep?
A. Defra funds a significant amount of research into sheep and goat TSEs.  Further information on this research is available.

Q.20. What is the Government doing in the light of this theoretical risk?
A: The Government published its contingency plan for the emergence of naturally occurring BSE in sheep in June 2004. The plan sets out the likely response measures to the discovery of this disease in sheep (and goats). The measures are designed to protect public health and animal welfare as well as to manage the economic, social and environmental impacts. Consistent with the plan, the aim is to minimise the impacts of the measures so that the industry can recover and supply the food chain as quickly as practicable.

Work on the detailed operational planning needed to underpin the plan is in progress. This work involves genotyping, flock certification, animal disposal arrangements and communications. Stakeholders will be engaged in taking this work forward.
In the wider context the contingency plan is part of a comprehensive Government risk management strategy that also includes:

• The National Scrapie Plan, aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating scrapie in the national sheep flock;
• ongoing scientific research; and
• removal of specified risk material from the food chain, on a precautionary basis.

Sheep or goats that are suspected of having any spongiform encephalopathy do not enter the human food chain. Suspects are compulsorily slaughtered and the meat destroyed (with compensation paid to the owner).

BSE & Goats

Q.21 Has BSE been confirmed in goats?
A. Through the EU wide TSE surveillance programme on samples collected at abattoirs and from fallen stock, a sample collected from a goat in France has been confirmed as having BSE. The sample was collected from a goat at an abattoir in 2002 and the flock where the goat originated from was subsequently culled and TSE tested. No other cases of BSE were detected..
Scientists at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency informed Defra at the beginning of 2005 that a sample collected from a scrapie suspect goat in 1990 might actually have had BSE. Further work needs to be completed to confirm this initial observation, which will take at least two years to complete.

Q22. What is the FSA advice concerning the consumption of goat products?
A. The FSA have issued a statement saying that:-
“On the basis of the current evidence, the Agency is not advising people against eating goat meat.” Further information can be found on the FSA website.

Q23. Has the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) been asked for their views on the recent finding of BSE in a French goat and the possible case of BSE in a UK goat?
A. Yes. The Committee concluded that:
“on the basis of current evidence, and the control measures currently in place aimed at reducing potential risk, it is reasonable for the FSA to continue not to advise against the consumption of goat meat or diary products.” The full statement can be found on the SEAC website


Q24. What is the possibility of BSE being present in the current EU goat population?
A. To establish if BSE is present in the current goat population the Commission have requested that all member states increase the level of TSE surveillance on goat samples collected from the abattoir and fallen stock surveys. For the UK this means that all goats over 18 months slaughtered for human consumption and 1,000 fallen goats over 18 months will have to be tested.

[Return to Questions]

2.2 TSEs in other species.

Deer

Q.25. Are there any TSEs in deer?
A. There have been cases of a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) in certain types of deer in the United States. There is no known relationship between CWD and any other spongiform encephalopathy of animals or people and no case of TSE has ever been found in European deer.
Research aimed at testing the susceptibility of UK red deer to BSE is being funded by the Food Standards Agency.

Chickens

Q.26. Has BSE been confirmed in chickens?
A. No natural TSE has been observed in chickens and limited attempts to infect chickens with BSE have been unsuccessful.

Domestic Pet Feed

Q.27. Are domestic pets being fed contaminated feed?
A. No. Although it is possible to include MBM in pet food, only 'clean' MBM (sourced from non-SRM tissues from cattle aged under 30 months at slaughter) can be used for pet food production. The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) are content with this practice, provided manufacture and storage of pet food containing MBM does not present a risk of contaminating livestock rations.

Cats

Q.28. How many cats have succumbed to feline spongiform encephalopathy?
A. Details of confirmed cases of TSEs in cats are available as well as further details on FSE.

Dogs

Q.29. Have there been any cases of TSE in dogs?
A. There are no confirmed cases of TSEs in dogs recorded in the UK or anywhere else.

Pigs

Q.30 Can pigs be infected with BSE?
A. There have been no natural field cases of any TSE in pigs. In limited experimental conditions when pigs have been orally challenged with BSE infected cow brains, TSE disease has not been transmitted. Pigs can be infected with BSE if infected cow brain is introduced by direct injection into the brain with the concurrent injection of both intra-venously and intra-peritoneally. However, as the oral route is the most natural route of exposure, it is considered unlikely that BSE could be transmitted to pigs in field conditions.

Exotic Species

Q.31. How many exotic species have succumbed to TSEs?
A. Details of confirmed cases of TSEs in exotic species are available on the Defra statistics page and further details on TSEs in exotic species are also available.

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Page last modified: 15 November 2005

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