[Jacob-list] Scrapie Monitoring - UK

[MarmontJacobs at aol.com]

Hi all,
       I would be interested to hear how scrapie is/will be monitored in the 
US. In the UK, we are headed from zero to straight down the genotyping route. 
Currently voluntary, albeit with a three year tie in, blood testing of rams 
and ram lambs and tagging by rumen bolus (or ewes as well if you can't come 
up with 40 boys to test!) is followed by notification of their genotypes (not 
always accurate by all accounts). You then have 7 days to have rams with the 
most supposedly susceptible genotypes destroyed or neutered, with further 
genotypes headed the same way in a few years.
    Although I have expressed an interest - purely to get the info, I am 
dragging my feet on this one. Firstly, they are continuing the research - 
does this mean they are unsure that this genotyping is the whole story? 
Secondly, some rare breeds have none of the most supposedly resistant 
genotypes - when will DEFRA decide what happens to those? Third, I don't like 
the tie in clause - after FMD I just don't trust the system...
    Trisha M-S
    Norfolk, England