National Scrapie Eradication Program Update

National Scrapie Eradication Program Update 

The revised National Scrapie Surveillance Plan which includes a new sampling incentive program is available online:

• National Scrapie Surveillance Plan
• Scrapie Sampling Incentive Program

2022 National Scrapie Surveillance Plan and Sampling Incentive Program Highlights

APHIS updated the 2019 National Scrapie Surveillance Plan to incorporate incentive credits and include the revised State sampling minimums which are proportional to each State’s breeding populations for States with the same risk level. This replaces sampling based on regions which resulted in significantly different sampling levels among States with the same risk level.

How States are classified into stages has not changed from the 2019 surveillance plan. States that have had a scrapie case in sheep in the last 7 fiscal years or have not met at least 90 percent of the sampling minimums for 4 out of the last 5 years are considered Stage 1. All other States are in Stage 2 and are considered low risk for scrapie. State sampling minimums for targeted mature sheep in Stage 1 States require sampling of 6 out of every 1,000 breeding ewes in the population (0.6 percent). Stage 2 State sampling minimums for targeted mature sheep require sampling of 4 out of every 1,000 breeding ewes in the population (0.4 percent). State sampling minimums for targeted mature goats are set at 4 out of every 1,000 mature does in the population (0.4 percent) to allow time for the goat identification requirements in the 2019 Scrapie Rule to be implemented. Due to its large sheep and goat populations Texas’ minimums were set at 1,000 goats and 1,000 sheep per year, which is lower than calculating the minimum based on the breeding populations. If a positive sheep or goat is detected, then that State will be moved to Stage 1 in the following year for sheep and goats. Stage 1 mature goat sampling minimums are the same as for Stage 1 for mature sheep (0.6 percent).

In addition to the sample collection criteria, a risk credit sampling incentive system will be implemented in FY 2023 to better target sampling toward sheep and goats that are considered at higher risk for scrapie such as animals with clinical signs.

Resources

• To report a sheep or goat with clinical signs of scrapie, please contact your local Veterinary Services (VS) office or State Veterinarian’s office. APHIS may pay indemnity for adult sheep or goats with neurological or other signs that are determined to be consistent with scrapie. Alternatively, an APHIS veterinarian could provide live animal scrapie testing for these animals.
• To learn more about scrapie, the disease, and the National Scrapie Eradication Program, visit the APHIS VS Scrapie Website.

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