Bucks for brains

Dr Anna Cavallaro, District Veterinary Officer, Echuca

There are many notable disease surveillance programs available to producers, and one worth mentioning is the National Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) surveillance program (NTSESP). It’s quite a long name, but the disease we’re talking about in sheep has the common name of Scrapie, with perhaps a more familiar partner name for the disease in cattle being Mad cow disease.

Australia is free from TSEs, which gives us access to many valuable export markets. An element of proving we are free from TSEs is to complete active ongoing surveillance. As part of the NTSESP the ‘bucks for brains’ initiative provides financial incentives for producers who submit an eligible brain, through their private veterinarian or district animal health staff, for national surveillance. This can be quite appealing for a return on an unwell animal with no commercial value.

In addition, there is also the opportunity to have diseases investigated with fully subsidised laboratory testing. Across Victoria the program has supported producers in reaching a diagnosis of a variety of common diseases of sheep such as Phalaris toxicity, polioencephalomalacia (polio), hypocalcaemia and pregnancy toxaemia.

So how do you participate?

An eligible animal is a sheep that is between the age of 18 months and preferably no older than 5 years old, which is displaying signs consistent with Scrapie. Many of the clinical signs of Scrapie overlap with a variety of common sheep diseases, and can include any change in temperament, mild behavioural and neurological signs, rubbing or scratching, muscle tremors, paralysis and difficulty rising. Up to 2 sheep per property can be enrolled in the program.

If you have sheep that meet these criteria, please get in contact with your private veterinarian or district animal health staff to see if you are eligible for an incentive payment. Call 136 186.