Bucks for brains

Dr Anna Cavallaro, District Veterinary Officer, Echuca

Australia is fortunate to remain free from serious diseases such as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) in livestock, a disease more commonly referred to as Scrapie in sheep or Mad cow disease in cattle. It is a rare neurodegenerative disease which is incurable and fatal.

To prove Australia remains free from TSEs there is a national surveillance program that offers financial incentive for producers to submit eligible animals towards testing. The ‘bucks for brains’ initiative is an appealing program, providing a financial return on an unwell animal that otherwise has no commercial value. Testing to rule out TSE is undertaken as part of critical surveillance to support our freedom from the disease and helps protect our valuable agricultural markets.

In addition, participation can also provide access to fully subsidised laboratory testing. Across Victoria the program has supported producers in reaching a diagnosis of a variety of diseases in sheep such as Phalaris staggers, listeriosis,polio (polioencephalomalacia), grass tetany (hypomagnesaemia) and pregnancy toxaemia.

How to get involved

Eligible sheep are generally aged between 18 months and 5 years and show clinical 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, poor coordination, muscle tremors, paralysis and difficulty rising. Up to 2 sheep per outbreak 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 who can assess the clinical signs of the eligible animal and perform an autopsy to collect the appropriate samples. Call 136 186.