6-28-2005 |
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GENETIC TESTING OFFERED TO FIGHT SHEEP DISEASE West Virginia sheep producers are encouraged to have their rams tested for a genetic susceptibility to scrapie (a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) illness). The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is offering this service free of charge as part of a national program aimed at eradicating scrapie. Scrapie - so named because one symptom of the disease involves incessant rubbing against fence posts or trees - is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It is classified as a TSE, the same kind of disease that causes mad cow disease in cattle, chronic waste disease in deer and elk, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. "A simple blood test can determine if a ram is able to pass genetic resistance against scrapie," said State Veterinarian Joe Starcher. "Rams that have been tested and are known to carry resistant genes make ideal breeding stock." The long-term goal of the program is the nationwide eradication of scrapie, which annually causes significant loss of production in infected flocks. "Scrapie has plagued the farmers of this state for a long time," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass . "I hope our producers will take advantage of this service, which can go a long way toward eradicating this disease." First documented in Great Britain and other countries of Western Europe more than 250 years ago, scrapie has been reported throughout the world. Only two countries are recognized by the United States as being free of scrapie: Australia and New Zealand . Scrapie has been diagnosed in more than 1,000 flocks in this country. Despite the similarities among TSEs, there is no evidence to suggest that humans can contract scrapie through slaughter or consumption of infected animals. The primary method of transmission is by contact and ingestion of placental or fetal fluids. Proper disposal of any fetal tissues from suspect animals should be handled with the utmost biosecurity measures. To participate in the program, producers must contact the WVDA's Division of Animal Health Moorefield Office at (304) 538-2397, the Charleston Office at (304) 558-2214 or their local veterinarians. Local veterinarians and the WVDA will work together to implement this innovative program.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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