Modelling the spread of scrapie in a sheep flock: evidence for increased transmission during lambing seasons

Touzeau, S., Chase-Topping, M.E., Matthews, L., Lajous, D., Eychenne, F., Hunter, N., Foster, J.D., Simm, G., Elsen, J.-M. and Woolhouse, M.E.J. (2006) Modelling the spread of scrapie in a sheep flock: evidence for increased transmission during lambing seasons. Archives of Virology, 151(4), pp. 735-751. (doi: 10.1007/s00705-005-0666-y)

Abstract

Presence of scrapie infectivity in the placenta suggests the possibility of increased transmission of scrapie during the lambing season. This hypothesis was explored here using a mathematical model of scrapie transmission dynamics which has previously been successfully used to study several scrapie outbreaks in Scottish sheep flocks. It was applied here to the Langlade experimental sheep flock (INRA Toulouse, France), in which a natural scrapie epidemic started in 1993. Extensive data were available, including pedigree, scrapie histopathological diagnoses and PrP genotypes. Detailed simulations of the scrapie outbreak reveal that the observed patterns of seasonality in incidence can not be accounted for by seasonality in demography alone and provide strong support for the hypothesis of increased transmission during lambing. Observations from several other scrapie outbreaks also showing seasonal incidence patterns support these conclusions

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Matthews, Professor Louise
• Authors: Touzeau, S., Chase-Topping, M.E., Matthews, L., Lajous, D., Eychenne, F., Hunter, N., Foster, J.D., Simm, G., Elsen, J.-M., and Woolhouse, M.E.J.
• Subjects: S Agriculture > SF Animal culture > SF600 Veterinary Medicine
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Archives of Virology
• ISSN: 0304-8608
• ISSN (Online): 1432-8798
• Published Online: 23 November 2005