Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the nervous systems of sheep and goats. It is one of several transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and as such it is thought to be caused by a prion. … See more

Scrapie and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are caused by prions. Prions were determined to be the infectious agent because transmission is difficult to prevent with heat, radiation and disinfectants, the agent does not evoke any detectable … See more

Changes are mild at first; slight behavioral changes and an increase in chewing movements may occur. Ataxia and neurological signs then develop, and affected sheep … See more

The prion gene that codes for the prion protein is highly conserved in most mammals, meaning the gene is similar and present in most species of mammals. Three locations on the prion protein gene have been identified as highly polymorphic and may have an … See more

The disease has been notifiable in the EU since 1993, but unlike bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease), there was no evidence as of 1999 … See more

The primary mode of transmission is from mother to lamb through ingestion of placental or allantoic fluids. The agent can also enter through cuts in the skin. An experiment has shown lambs risk being infected through milk from infected ewes, but the lambs in the … See more

Various studies have indicated prions (PrP ) which infect sheep and goats with the fatal transmissible encephalopathy known as scrapie are able … See more