March 2009 Articles

Archives by Months

USDA and Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission Request the Help of Arkansas

USDA and Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission Request the Help of Arkansas Sheep Producers in Scrapie Surveillance
Dr. Albert Leslie, APHIS, USDA Veterinarian
The National Scrapie Eradication Program is a cooperative state-federal-industry program administered by USDA and the states to eradicate classical scrapie. By the end of October 2012, the percentage of sheep found positive for scrapie at slaughter had decreased 94 percent since the eradication program began in 2003. In this program, each state must maintain standards and surveillance that is in compliance with the national program. Surveillance is done through the submission of specimens from eligible sheep (18 months and older) that go to slaughter or die on-farm. Surveillance goals are based on the sheep population in each state. If a state fails to maintain the necessary surveillance numbers, that state may fall out of compliance with the national program and lose the benefits of unrestricted interstate movement. This could require any sheep producer in that state selling animals across state lines to be enrolled in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program and to meet the standards of that program.
In order to increase the on-farm scrapie surveillance numbers in Arkansas, sheep producers are asked to (1) work with your veterinarians in the submission of specimens from eligible sheep (18 months and older) that die on your farm and (2) notify the USDA Veterinary Services office when you have eligible animals (18 months and older) custom butchered at local slaughter facilities so arrangements can be made for collection of specimens there.
To encourage the participation of veterinarians, USDA will pay the veterinarian $40 per submission ($20 per submission for additional submissions on the same day) for collecting and shipping whole-head specimens from eligible animals (18 months and older) that die on your farm. USDA furnishes shipping containers and supplies and pays the shipping costs.
Please call the USDA Veterinary Services office in Little Rock at (866) 873-2824 if you have questions. Source: University of Arkansas