National Scrapie Plan:Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme
From
20th July 2004 in England and Scotland (1 November 2004 in Wales),new
European widelegislation has beenimplementedwhereby owners who have
a reported and subsequently confirmed case of scrapie will be registered
into the Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme (CSFS). This scheme is similar
to the Voluntary Scrapie Flocks Scheme
but the rules are more onerous. There has been full consultation on how
this scheme is being implemented.
There will be a veterinary assesssment based on epidemiological evidence to decide to which holdings and flocks the measures will apply.
The scheme imposes either a slaughter of all small ruminants present on the holding, or genotyping of the entire sheep flock and destruction of any goats. There are derogations for rare breeds or to prevent in-breeding.
Where genotyping is carried out, those animals most resistant will be kept as breeding stock, less resistant animals slaughtered for human consumption and those showing the least resistance will be removed from the holding and destroyed as Specified Risk Material (SRM). Compensation will be payable for animals destroyed as SRM.
Once a case of scrapie has been confirmed, your local Animal Health Divisional Office will take steps to register your holding into the scheme. An Animal Health Veterinary Officer will contact you to assess your flock and discuss the options open to you.
Once the animals on your holding have reached the required levels of scrapie resistance, restrictions will be enforced on sale, purchase and breeding on the holding for a period of three years. For further details see the Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme Booklet.
Further Questions and Answers on the Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme are available on this website.
- How to contact the National Scrapie Plan
Administration Centre (NSPAC).
Page last modified:
1 August, 2007
Page last reviewed: 12 October, 2006