Changes

==Signalment==  

==Signalment==  

Scrapie affects the majority of sheep between 3 and 5 years of age and has a long incubation period of two to five years.  It is extremely durable and is able to withstand high temepratures and concentrations of formaldehyde.  Unlike BSE, scrapie is influenced by breed and genetic variation of the PrP gene within sheep populations, which can affect the infectivity and incubation period of the scrapie.  The disease has been shown to be effectively transmitted during lambing <ref name="Dickinson et al., 1974"> Dickinson AG, Stamp JT, Renwick CC, 1974. Maternal and lateral transmission of scrapie in sheep. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 84(1):19-25.</ref>, <ref name="Hourrigan et al., 1979 " />  as placenta and possibly the placental fluids are thought to be a source of infection <ref name="Andréoletti et al., 2002">Andréoletti O, Lacroux C, Chabert A, Monnereau L, Tabouret G, Lantier F, Berthon P, Eychenne F, Lafond-Benestad S, Elsen JM, Schelcher F, 2002. PrP accumulation in placentas of ewes exposed to natural scrapie: influence of foetal PrP genotype and effect on ewe-to-lamb transmission. Journal of General Virology, 83(10):2607-2616; 48 ref.</ref>, <ref name="Onodera et al., 1993"> Onodera T, Ikeda T, Muramatsu Y, Shinagawa M, 1993. Isolation of scrapie agent from the placenta of sheep with natural scrapie in Japan. Microbiology and Immunology, 37(4):311-316. </ref>, <ref name="Race et al., 1998">Race R, Jenny A, Sutton D, 1998. Scrapie infectivity and proteinase K-resistant prion protein in sheep placenta, brain, spleen, and lymph node: implications for transmission and antemortem diagnosis. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 178(4):949-953; 29 ref. </ref>, <ref name="Tuo et al., 2002">Tuo WB, O'Rourke KI, Zhuang DY, Cheevers WP, Spraker TR, Knowles DP, 2002. Pregnancy status and fetal prion genetics determine PrP accumulation in placentomes of scrapie-infected sheep. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 99(9):6310-6315; 31 ref. </ref>, <ref name="Tuo et al., 2001">Tuo W, Zhuang D, Knowles DP, Cheevers WP, Sy M-S, O’Rourke K, 2001. PrP-C and PrP-Sc at the fetal-maternal interface. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276(21):18229-18234.</ref> and experimental studies have shown that the ingestion of infected placenta can spread the disease in sheep and goats <ref name="Pattison et al., 1972">Pattison IH, Hoare MN, Jebbett JN, 1972. Spread of scrapie to sheep and goats by oral dosing with foetal membranes from scrapie-affected sheep. Veterinary Record, 90(17):465-468.</ref>.

Scrapie affects the majority of sheep between 3 and 5 years of age and has a long incubation period of two to five years.  It is extremely durable and is able to withstand high temepratures and concentrations of formaldehyde.  Unlike BSE, scrapie is influenced by breed and genetic variation of the PrP gene within sheep populations, which can affect the infectivity and incubation period of the scrapie.  The disease has been shown to be effectively transmitted during lambing <ref name="Dickinson et al., 1974"> Dickinson AG, Stamp JT, Renwick CC, 1974. Maternal and lateral transmission of scrapie in sheep. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 84(1):19-25.</ref>, <ref name="Hourrigan et al., 1979 " />  and experimental studies have shown that the ingestion of infected placenta can spread the disease in sheep and goats <ref name="Pattison et al., 1972">Pattison IH, Hoare MN, Jebbett JN, 1972. Spread of scrapie to sheep and goats by oral dosing with foetal membranes from scrapie-affected sheep. Veterinary Record, 90(17):465-468.</ref>.

==Clinical Signs==  

==Clinical Signs==