First case of sheep degenerative brain disease found in U.S. in five years August 2, 2026 – OREGON – The Oregon

August 2, 2026 – OREGON – The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced that scrapie has been detected in sheep slaughtered there. This is the first documented case of scrapie in the USA in the last five years.

Scrapie is a rare neurological disease in a sheep comparable to chronic wasting disease in deer and mad cow disease in cattle.

Scrapie is difficult to detect. It can be fatal in sheep and goats but does not seem to be a human health risk. Animals that appear perfectly healthy can harbor the disease. When symptoms appear, the cases are always fatal.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture reports that the sheep was tested as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's national scrapie surveillance program.

Scrapie is a prion disease; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is the human version. Humans can get CJD from eating beef from BSE cattle. This has never been documented with scrapie.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported that the sheep slaughtered at the facility in Oregon did not have an ear tag so we cannot trace it to its home flock.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has confirmed that it is classical scrapie. As required, APHIS has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of the confirmed detection.

The USA had been just 18 months away from being given scrapie free status by WOAH.

APHIS says that it and State animal health officials have initiated an epidemiological investigation to determine the flock of origin.

To support the investigation, NVSL will conduct tissue‑matching and parentage testing on the affected sheep and two additional animals from the same accession.

APHIS expects minimal impact on trade because the USA is a sheep importer not an exporter. Most countries restrict live animal exports only from affected flocks or premises, and products such as wool remain unaffected.

USDA encourages farmers to be vigilant and reinforce key practices that have advanced scrapie eradication efforts nationwide:

1) Strict compliance with ear tagging and traceability requirements to ensure exposed animals can be accurately tracked.

2) Robust surveillance participation, including submission of clinical suspects and routine monitoring.

3) Use of genetically resistant breeding stock, which significantly reduces disease susceptibility and depopulation needs.

4) Continued partnership with APHIS and State officials to support investigation and long‑term freedom efforts.

More information about scrapie and APHIS' eradication program is available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.