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Scrapie rules could scrap whole flocks
Nov 16 2004
Steve Dube, Western Mail
TOUGH new rules to tackle scrapie could lead to the destruction of
entire flocks.
Under a new scheme that came into effect yesterday, all farmers with
confirmed cases of scrapie will have to cull the whole flock or blood
test the flock to determine its genetic profile.
Announcing the scheme yesterday, Wales Countryside Minister Carwyn Jones
said it would enforce an EU regulation requiring member states to take
action on sheep flocks and goat herds that report scrapie.
"It is vital to the rural economy that the sheep sector remains
competitive, and we can go some way to achieving that competitive edge
by doing all we can to eliminate scrapie from our Welsh flocks," said Mr
Jones.
"The new scheme applies to all farmers who report and have confirmed a
case of scrapie, including members of the Voluntary Scrapie Flocks
Scheme and cases identified by surveys of adult fallen stock and sheep
at slaughter."
It means that sheep most susceptible to scrapie will have to be culled,
enabling farmers to strengthen their flocks by breeding from more
resistant animals.
Compensation will be paid for animals that are culled but cannot enter
the food chain.
In addition, a derogation is available to delay slaughter for up to five
breeding years where the level of resistance in the flock is low. This
will allow the flock to remain at a viable number and to avoid inbreeding.
In the case of goats, the entire herd must be culled because current
scientific advice is that goats are not known to possess specific genes
that confer resistance or susceptibility to transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies.
Scrapie is a fatal neurological disease of sheep that has been present
in the national sheep flock for 250 years, but is not considered
transmissible to humans.
Scientists say there is a theoretical risk that BSE could be present in
sheep, but hidden by the presence of scrapie, although BSE has not been
found to occur naturally in sheep.
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/1000farming/tm_objectid=14876791&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=tssscrapie-rules-could-scrap-whole-flocks-name_page.html
TSS
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