The 2017 Annual Report on the effort to eliminate Classical Scrapie from the United States highlights the outstanding accomplishments of the program. In fact, there have been no cases of Classical Scrapie detected in the US since April 2016. One of the most difficult aspects of a nationwide eradication program is making sure that the last few cases of the disease are found. In New Jersey and throughout other parts of the country, we have been very successful in meeting our goals to collect samples at slaughter. In order to declare the U.S. “scrapie free”, we must be able to prove to the world that we have conducted testing among all sheep and goat populations. This is why the submission of samples from sheep/goats over 18 months of age found dead or euthanized on farm is extremely important. Without these samples it will be difficult to declare the US free of scrapie, which is estimated to cost the sheep and goat industries approximately $10 to $20 million, annually. Hence we are asking for help from our New Jersey industry to obtain these samples. If a producer has an adult sheep who dies or has to be euthanized, please contact me via phone or text. There is no charge for the collection or testing of the samples. In addition, as an incentive, anyone having an animal sampled will be offered plastic scrapie tags at no cost.Thank you for your assistance. Linda A. Detwiler, DVM
Veterinary Medical Officer
USDA APHIS VS SPRS District 1 – NJ
320 Corporate Blvd.Robbinsville, NJ 08691