March 03, 2008

LANSING - Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) officials today announced a three-year-old female Nubian goat from Ottawa County tested positive for Scrapie - a fatal, contagious disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats - by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy which can be transmitted between sheep and goats. This discovery means Michigan goats no longer meet the requirements to be classified as “low-risk” or “low-risk commercial” by USDA.

The goat was born in 2004 and sold in July of 2007. There was no known contact between this goat and any sheep in either herd, indicating that goat-to-goat transmission most likely occurred. The positive Scrapie result was reported on December 12, 2007 by the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

This is only the second Scrapie positive goat identified in Michigan since 2000. USDA continues to investigate into the sales of any herd mates.

“Scrapie is not known to pose a human health risk,” said MDA State Veterinarian Steven Halstead. “It is a reportable animal disease and its eradication is only possible through testing, good recordkeeping, and animal identification. This discovery underscores the need for animal identification and premises registration."

In 2006, Michigan’s sheep and goat industries gross production and income were $3,512,000.

“One of the major impacts to the industry with the loss of Michigan’s low-risk and low risk commercial status is that producers are required to obtain a certificate of veterinary inspection or a health certificate when moving goats interstate,” said Halstead

Title 9 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, part 79.3 stipulates that official individual identification is required for all sexually intact goats, regardless of age, for movement in interstate commerce unless the movement is in slaughter channels, or for grazing or similar purposes without change of ownership.

A “Certificate of Veterinary Inspection” (CVI) or a health certificate will also be required for goats moving out of Michigan - other than in slaughter channels, for grazing, or similar purposes without change of ownership. Michigan law requires all sheep and goats to have official individual identification prior to leaving the farm and at all points of commerce.

For more information on Scrapie, visit the MDA Web site at www.michigan.gov/mda and click on animal health, then animal diseases. To order official USDA identification tags, please call 1-866-USDATAG.