Scrapie, a disease related to mad cow, found in two flocks of sheep in Alberta

The Canadian Press

Published Jul 18, 2019 • Last updated Jul 19, 2019 • 1 minute read

This undated image provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows an unidentified veterinarian with Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, conducting tests for scrapie disease.The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says some sheep in Alberta have been infected with scrapie, a fatal disease that affects the animals' central nervous system. The federal agency's website says classic scrapie, which can be transmitted to other sheep and goats, were confirmed in two flocks on June 21.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-USDA, Norman Watson Photo by Norman Watson /THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says some sheep in Alberta have been infected with scrapie, a fatal disease that affects the animals’ nervous system.

The federal agency’s website says classic scrapie, which can be transmitted to other sheep and goats, was confirmed last month in two flocks in Central Alberta.

As a result, the agency said in an email that the two herds are under quarantine.

The movements of the diseased animals are also being traced and epidemiological data is being gathered. No sheep have been killed.

Scrapie belongs to the family of diseases that includes mad cow disease in cattle, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

Health Canada says there is no known link between scrapie and human health.

The CFIA says scrapie can only been seen in adult sheep between two and five years of age and can take years to develop.

Once an animal appears ill it typically dies within a few months.

You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.

Create an Account

Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.