Scrapie: a point of view

Authors: Bruere AN
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 26, Issue 1-2, pp 37-38, Jan 1978
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant, Sheep
Subject Terms: Biosecurity, Notifiable organisms/exotic disease, Nervous system/neurology, Spongiform encephalopathies, Disease/defect, Infectious disease
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: By shallow “scientific” argument Dr O`Hara has displayed his misunderstanding of the whole potential problem of scrapie and other slow virus diseases to the New Zealand sheep industry which, in spite of his protestations, I remind him has a unique place in our economy. He also appears to have assumed the role of a clairvoyant when he believes that he is in a position to state that “While I accept that their importation (referring to exotic breeds of sheep) represent a greater health risk to New Zealand than no importation at all, the quarantine procedures have reduced this risk to a point where the potential benefits greatly outweigh the risks involved”. If Dr O`Hara is so well versed in his understanding of what is needed for the New Zealand sheep industry, would he be so good as to state unequivocally what are the potential benefits of the exotic breeds of sheep and what evidence is there that such benefits cannot be derived from our present sheep population which represents about 6% of the world`s sheep; quite a large recombinant gene pool…

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