Walsh & Hoyt: Scrapie

One of the most well-known and common animal prion diseases is scrapie, a disease of goats and sheep that was first recognized in the 1700s. Scrapie occurs in most regions throughout the world, and is endemic in many countries, including France and the United Kingdom. It is clinically characterized by incoordination, twitching, irritability, and pruritis. Affected animals may literally scrape their skin off because of the intense itching; hence, the name ""scrapie."" Ultimately, the disease produces paralysis and death. Scrapie is associated with typical prion histopathological changes including spongiform change, gliosis, neuronal loss and amyloid plaque formation.