Dept confirms new strain of scrapie in sheep
09/12/2004 - 09:05:35The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that a new strain of scrapie is emerging in Irish sheep.
The disease is a fatal, degenerative illness affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats and belongs to a group which can cause BSE in cattle and CJD in humans.
The department's confirmation of the existence of the illness in Ireland came just hours after the British authorities said 80 cases of an unknown strain of scrapie had been found in sheep there.
