USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
Contact:  Larry Mark - (703) 451-3954 - ldmark@erols.com


For immediate release:

MRI TECHNIQUES SHOW PROMISE FOR SCRAPIE DIAGNOSIS

	HERSHEY, Pa., Nov. 9, 2005 - At its meeting here this week, the U.S. Animal Health 
Association (USAHA) Committee on Scrapie heard a report on Magnetic Resonance Imaging 
Diagnostics that shows promise as a live test for scrapie, a transmissible spongiform 
encephalapothy (TSE) of sheep.

	Dr. Alexia McKnight of the University of Pennsylvania reported that the same type of 
equipment that is used to perform MRI’s on people can be used on anesthetized sheep to detect 
signs of scrapie.  The advantage of this exciting new technique is that the information obtained 
from the tests can be read immediately.  Although the procedure has potential, it may not be 
practical in all cases, particularly for small operations.  The technique is still under study.

	Other live test procedures for scrapie include the third-eyelid test and rectal biopsies.

	The committee also received an update on the national scrapie program, indicating that 
progress is being made toward eradication.  The Scrapie Surveillance Evaluation Working Group 
provided some good information on progress being made in this area, along with identifying 
some surveillance gaps that need to be filled.

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