Sheep TSE surveillance statistics

Sheep surveillance statistics (256kb pdf) (In the figures confirmed cases include both classical and atypical forms of scrapie unless otherwise indicated.)

Sheep cases found as a result of passive surveillance in Great Britain have been recorded since the disease was made notifiable in 1993.

The EU active surveillance programme started in January 2002.

In active surveillance, the number of sheep to be sampled in the testing programme has varied varied each year but has included:

  • a sample of fallen sheep over 18 months of age.
  • a sample of healthy slaughtered sheep over 18 months of age.

Cases which have been identified from flocks in the Compulsory Scrapie Flock Scheme (CSFS) are shown separately.

Animal Health attempt to trace all cases of scrapie back to their natal flock so that it can confirm disease on the appropriate premises for control measures to be applied. In some cases this can take time. Where a final decision has not been made on where to confirm disease, the case is included in the number of "pending" cases.

Atypical scrapie

In 2002 an atypical form of scrapie was identified in the active surveillance stream, and subsequently has been shown to occur in most EU states. It is similar, or possibly identical, to a form of scrapie called Nor98, first identified in Norway in 1998.