Written question asked by David Drew (Labour) on Monday, 13 December 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 13 January 2005. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Thursday, 13 January 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on latest research on scrapie and possible links to BSE in sheep.

Answer: Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on latest research on scrapie and possible links to BSE in sheep. [205499] Mr. Bradshaw: Research in recent years has shown that most PrP genotypes of sheep can be experimentally infected with BSE when they are directly challenged in the brain. The results from experimental challenges of similar sheep with large doses of BSE orally indicate that the PrP genotypes that show resistance to scrapie are also resistant to BSE. Scrapie surveillance using EU recommended tests in UK slaughter sheep and fallen stock have not shown evidence of BSE. These tests have identified forms of scrapie that were not previously recognised in a small number of sheep. Further work is being done on these newly identified forms, the evidence to date indicates that they do not have the same signature as BSE.

Secondary information