"Because Animal Health Matters"
Information from the USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services and Texas Animal Health Commission
2105 Kramer Lane
Box 12966 (mailing address)
Austin, Texas 78711-2966
1-800-550-8242
Receive news releases automatically!
What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us!
If we don’t know, or can’t find the flocks or herds where diseased animals have lived or were born, conducting a successful disease investigation or eradication effort can be extremely difficult.
National premises and animal identification has become the hot topic in agricultural circles, particularly after Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in other countries and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE, was detected December 2003 in Washington, in a cow imported from Canada.
In reality, the sheep and goat industry is already adhering to many principles of the program in the effort to eradicate scrapie, a fatal, degenerative brain disease. (See "More about Scrapie" below.)
Identification Requirements
Since 2001, the USDA has required that certain classes of sheep and goats be identified with approved ear tags before moving from a premises. Official ear tags are imprinted with the owners’ unique premises identification number and a sequential animal number. While the owner may apply and use the tags for routine flock management, the tags are not required to be applied until animals are moved from their premises or commingled with seep from another farm or ranch. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure animals are tagged.
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) issues scrapie program premises identification numbers. White metal or white plastic scrapie identification ear tags are provided by the USDA at no charge. The first shipment of tags includes a free pair of tagging pliers. To obtain the premises number and supplies, sheep and goat owners, livestock market operators or others, such as agricultural science teachers, can call the toll-free scrapie “tag line” at the Texas Animal Health Commission at 1-866-873-2824. When requesting tags, please be prepared to provide a physical shipping address.
Alternative styles of official ear tags may be purchased. A list of approved vendors can be obtained by calling the scrapie “tag line” or checking the web site: www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/scrapie.htm
Which Animals Must Be Tagged?
Sheep and goats that MUST be tagged before they leave the premises:
·
~ALL sheep 18 months of age or older.
·~ALL breeding sheep regardless of age
·~Sexually intact show or exhibition sheep and goats.
·~Breeding goats—and all goats 18 months and older—that have
commingled with sheep.
Sheep and goats exempt from tagging:
·~Registered goats can be identified by tattoo, if they are accompanied by their registration papers. If the animals are moved without registration papers, official ear tags are required.
·~Wethers or commercial goats used for fiber or meat production are not required to be tagged, if they haven’t had contact with sheep.
When are Tags Required?
The USDA and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) requires that the animals be tagged BEFORE they are:
·~moved from their farm to be sold in interstate commerce (across state lines). (Always check with the state of destination. Some states, including Texas, restrict the entry of breeding stock genetically susceptible to scrapie.)
·~commingled with sheep and goats from any other farm.
In addition, the TAHC, in September 2002, implemented state requirements for tagging the animals before they are:
·~moved from their farm to be sold intrastate (within the state)
·~moved to exhibitions
What About Multiple Tags, Record Keeping?
Do not remove ear tags, as these are the devices making it possible to track scrapie-infected animals to their farm of birth. Purchased ewes, or nannies commingled with sheep, can be retagged with your official ear tag, if the animals are used for breeding. Records should be maintained so the animals can be traced to their premises of birth.
For disease investigation purposes, records that document the animals’ movement and change of ownership must be maintained for five years. Among the records to be kept:
·~auction market drive-in documents,
·~invoices
·~sale tickets
·~waybills.
When selling sheep or goats at a livestock market, provide your scrapie premises identification number for the market drive-in record. List the individual animal numbers on the document and keep the paperwork for five years.
When purchasing through private treaty, ensure that the seller has met the tagging requirements. Alternatively, upon receiving the animals, tag them with your official ear tags. Then it’s a good idea to record the individual animal numbers and the sellers’ premises identification number on your receipt of bill of sale. Keep it for five years.
More About Scrapie
(Pronounced Scray-pea)
Scrapie is a fatal disease that causes brain degeneration in sheep and, on occasion, goats. Although it has been recognized in Great Britain and Western Europe for nearly three centuries, it wasn’t until 1947 that scrapie was known to have been introduced accidentally into the U.S. from Canada through the purchase of registered breeding sheep. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine or effective treatment for this disease.
While older animals can be exposed to the scrapie disease agent, known as a prion, lambs and kids are at greatest risk of contracting the disease. Infected ewes shed the infectious scrapie prions in fluids and tissues when giving birth, thus exposing very young animals from the time of birth until they are weaned. In confined areas, young offspring of other ewes can be exposed and environmental contamination can occur.
Scrapie develops slowly and clinical signs, such as tremors, usually aren’t apparent until an infected animal is 24 months or older. Affected animals can exhibit weight loss, lack or coordination, or swaying, and they also may startle easily, pull their wool, or “scrape” along a fence or other object. Animals that exhibit signs of scrapie are prohibited from entering the food chain, and carcasses must be buried or burned to prevent further spread of disease.
Within the past couple of years, a “live animal” test (third eyelid test) has been approved, and it involves anesthetizing the animal’s eye and collecting a piece of the lymphatic tissue from the third eyelid for laboratory testing.
Generally, final confirmation is made by laboratory examination of brain stem tissue from a euthanized or slaughtered animal.
U.S. Scrapie Prevalence Study
Results of a U.S. scrapie prevalence study conducted April 1, 2002, to March 31, 2003, indicated that infection occurs in about two of every 1,000 mature sheep. In the U.S. more than 90 percent of the scrapie infected animals have been black-faced sheep, such as Suffolk, Hampshire, Shropshire, or crosses of these breeds. This is because past eradication efforts did not eliminate infected animals, and exposed animals moved between breeding operations.
Slaughter surveillance for scrapie began April 2003, and several infected flocks in Texas have been identified. No infected goat herds have been detected in Texas, but an infected flock with both sheep and goats was found in the state in 2004.
What IF? Scrapie in MY Flock??
If scrapie is detected in your flock— or your animals have been exposed to the disease—a TAHC or USDA regulatory veterinarian will work closely with you to consider all options for disease eradication and develop a customized plan for determining the status of your flock, eradicating the disease if it is present, and monitoring the flock.
Several disease-fighting tools may be used, including movement restrictions on animals; removal and testing of the exposed or “high risk” animals in the flock; conducting third eyelid testing; and monitoring the flock over a number years. Genetics play a major role in susceptibility to the disease and is used in the management plan. A federal indemnity, or payment of fair market value, is available for ‘high-risk’ animals euthanized for testing.
A state or federal veterinarian also will conduct a complete epidemiological investigation, tracing animals moved into and out of the flock, to determine where the infection may have originated and if exposed animals may have been sold to other producers.
Scrapie-Free Certification for Flocks
Flock owners interested in certifying their flocks as free of scrapie can enroll in the voluntary Scrapie Flock Certification Program (SFCP). Information on this program can be obtained by calling Texas’ USDA-APHIS-VS office in Austin at 1-512-916-5552. A brochure is also available by mail or on the TAHC web site: www.tahc.state.tx.us
Related Diseases
