California Wool Growers Association

Unifying the Voice of the Sheep Industry Since 1860

Scrapie

Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting sheep and goats. The presence of classical scrapie in the U.S. sheep and goat population affects industry economically through production losses, lost exports, and increased production and disposal costs. Public health concerns related to the transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to humans have resulted in efforts to eradicate all TSEs in food-producing animals.

Clinical signs of classical scrapie typically appear between 2 to 5 years after infection; therefore, infected animals rarely show clinical signs of infection before the age of 2 years, with the average age of clinical onset being 3-4 years. Due to damage to the nervous system, affected animals often show behavior changes, such as nervousness or aggression, intense rubbing, and locomotor incoordination that progresses to recumbency and death. To learn more about how to identify scrapie click here.

Online Education Producer Guide to Scrapie

Scrapie Eradication Program

Surveillance for scrapie in the United States is conducted through the National Scrapie Eradication Program (NSEP), a cooperative State-Federal-industry program. The surveillance components of the NSEP include:

  1. Regulatory Scrapie Slaughter Surveillance (RSSS);
  2. Non-slaughter surveillance (e.g., trace investigations, on-farm testing); and
  3. The Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP).

The program’s goals are to eradicate classical scrapie from the United States and to meet World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) criteria for disease freedom. Since 2002, the prevalence of scrapie has decreased significantly through existing eradication efforts, largely a result of effective slaughter surveillance.

Information on Ordering Official Sheep & Goat Ear Tags:

APHIS will provide up to 80 plastic flock ID tags, free-of-charge, to producers who have not gotten free tags from USDA in the past. APHIS will discontinue the availability of no-cost metal tags for producers.

Dealers and markets may continue to receive metal serial tags at no cost. 

The no-cost metal tags previously provided to producers will be phased out in summer 2019, when the currently obligated funding is expended. During the phase out, APHIS will continue to provide, upon request, up to 100 serial metal tags free of charge to producers (either regular orange metal serial tags or blue slaughter-only metal serial tags) who haven’t received APHIS-provided tags within the previous 24 months. 

Flock ID tag numbers are the producer’s flock ID assigned by APHIS or the State and an individual animal number. Metal serial tag numbers have the state postal abbreviation, 2 letters and 4 numbers. 

Call 1-866-USDA-TAG (866-873-2824) to be connected to your USDA Veterinary Services Office or State Office Veterinarian and request that a premises identification number and Flock ID be assigned to your flock.

Producers and others who handle sheep or goats in commerce who need additional tags or want a different type or color of tag may purchase official plastic, metal or radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags directly from approved tag manufactures. A flock or Premises ID is required to order tags from these sources.  A National Premises ID is also required to purchase official 840 RFID tags or implantable devices.  

For those that use the APHIS-provided tags, please note that you will need to purchase a compatible applicator. The 505S applicator for the official metal tags is available for purchase from the National Band and Tag Company at 859-261-2035. The “Allflex Universal Tagger” for application of the plastic tags provided by APHIS is available for purchase from multiple sources including directly from Allflex at 833-727-2743.   

If you would prefer to purchase a different kind of eartag or device, contact one of the approved tag companies listed here to purchase the eartags or device and applicator. Approved eartag companies offer a wider range of colors, styles and devices.These eartags and devices are approved for the official identification of sheep and goats in interstate commerce. There are restrictions on the use of implantable devices.

California Scrapie Regulations

Everyone raising sheep and goats in California requires official identification issued by the USDA.

You may obtain official tags from the USDA/APHIS VS office at 916-854-3900. If you apply official ID, you must retain records on those animals for 5 years, including the date you identified the animals and the identification numbers applied, such that animals may be traced back to their flock/herd of origin.

Official Identification (official eartags, official tattoos, official electronic identification or official premises identification numbers) are required when sheep and goats change ownership, except:

  • Lambs and kids less than 18 months of age in slaughter channels that have not lambed, kidded, aborted, or are pregnant;
  • Low–risk goats (those not exposed to scrapie or to any sheep, unless low risk commercial sheep);
  • Castrated animals less than 18 months of age that are not for exhibition.

California Interstate Entry Requirements

Sheep (Domestic) Interstate Entry Requirements
Goat (Domestic) Interstate Entry Requirements

You Are the Key to Declaring the U.S. Free of Scrapie

In order to find the remaining scrapie infected sheep and goats and to demonstrate to the world that the U.S. is scrapie free, we need more sample submissions from mature sheep and goats that die on farm. The only diagnostic tests currently available to determine if a sheep or goat has scrapie require brain or lymphoid tissue. For more information visit thee USDA/APHIS/VS Scrapie website, click here.

  • Educate yourself on the clinical signs of scrapie.
  • Report. Contact your State Veterinarian (California Dept. of Food & Ag 916-900-5002) or the USDA Veterinary Services Office for your state if your sheep or goat, older than 12 months, exhibits clinical signs of scrapie. Testing clinical suspects is the most cost effective way to find scrapie infected animals.
    • For more information contact the Designated Scrapie Epidemiologist (DSEs) for your State.
  • Submit samples or whole heads from sheep and goats over 18 months of age that die or are euthanized on your premises. Additional information is available on how you or your veterinarian can submit samples or whole heads for scrapie testing.

To learn more about the National Scrapie Eradication Program, click here.

In a cooperative effort between American Sheep Industry (ASI) and APHIS a quarterly newsletter about the Scrapie Eradication Program has been developed for State and Federal partners. Click here to read this publication.

Additional Information Sources

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