Demographic risk factors for classical and atypical scrapie in Great Britain

Green, D.M., del Rio Vilas, V.J., Birch, C.P.D., Johnson, J., Kiss, I.Z., McCarthy, N.D. and Kao, R.R. (2007) Demographic risk factors for classical and atypical scrapie in Great Britain. Journal of General Virology, 88(12), pp. 3486-3492. (doi: 10.1099/vir.0.83225-0)

Abstract

Following the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis, the European Union has introduced policies for eradicating transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), including scrapie, from large ruminants. However, recent European Union surveillance has identified a novel prion disease, 'atypical' scrapie, substantially different from classical scrapie. It is unknown whether atypical scrapie is naturally transmissible or zoonotic, like BSE. Furthermore, cases have occurred in scrapie-resistant genotypes that are targets for selection in legislated selective breeding programmes. Here, the first epidemiological study of British cases of atypical scrapie is described, focusing on the demographics and trading patterns of farms and using databases of recorded livestock movements. Triplet comparisons found that farms with atypical scrapie stock more sheep than those of the general, non-affected population. They also move larger numbers of animals than control farms, but similar numbers to farms reporting classical scrapie. Whilst there is weak evidence of association through sheep trading of farms reporting classical scrapie, atypical scrapie shows no such evidence, being well-distributed across regions of Great Britain and through the sheep-trading network. Thus, although cases are few in number so far, our study suggests that, should natural transmission of atypical scrapie be occurring at all, it is doing so slowly.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kao, Professor Rowland
• Authors: Green, D.M., del Rio Vilas, V.J., Birch, C.P.D., Johnson, J., Kiss, I.Z., McCarthy, N.D., and Kao, R.R.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Journal of General Virology
• Publisher: Society for General Microbiology
• ISSN: 0022-1317
• ISSN (Online): 1465-2099
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2007 Society for General Microbiology
• First Published: First published in Journal of General Virology 88(12):3486-3492
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher