HC Deb 04 March 1999 vol 326 cc911-2W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many confirmed transmissible spongiform encephalopathy cases there were by species in animals other than cattle in Great Britain at the latest available date. [73410]

Mr. Rooker

Scrapie, one of the family of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, has been present in sheep for over 250 years. This disease has been notifiable since 1 January 1993 in response to the EC Directive governing trade in sheep and goats (91/68/EEC). The numbers of cases of scrapie in sheep and goats confirmed in Great Britain from 1 January 1993following:

Number of cases
Sheep 2,281
Goats 8

As regards other spongiform encephalopathies, the to 1 March 1999 are as follows table gives the number of cases confirmed in exotic animals and felines in Great Britain since 1986:

Species Number of cases
Ankole cow 2
Bison 1
Cheetah1 5
Domestic cat 85
Eland 6
Gemsbok 1
Kudu 6
Nyala 1

Species Number of cases
Ocelot 2
Oryx(Arabian) 1
Oryx (scimitar horned) 1
Puma 3
Tiger2 2
Lion 1
1Four litter mates also died in zoos abroad
2Plus one inconclusive

Note:

Data as at 25 February 1999