Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 044
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| Year | 1940 |
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| OCR Text |
Fig. 1.—Scrapz'c ~Admnced case showing loss of wool with abrasions on the face and hind-quarters. Fig. 2.—Scrap2'e—Adz~anccd case showing emacz'atz'on and inco-ordination ofgait. SCRAPIE. 77 and weakness are progressive, and inability to rise is a common feature of the later stages. The temperature throughout the course of the disease remains approximately normal. There frequently coexist with these symptoms various motor nervous disturbances, including aberrations of gait, epileptiform convulsions, and paralysis of the hind—quarters. Many cases also exhibit erratic and blundering movements, and when made to trot a number show a peculiar gait in a high—stepping action of the fore-legs with or without ‘ rolling ’ or galloping movements of the hind-legs. There is commonly in evidence imperfect ability to extend the hind fetlocks, so that the hooves are slightly trailed along the ground. When hustled or exerted the sheep, after galloping for a few yards, may suddenly develop convulsive seizures; these are im- mediately followed by a varying degree of coma, but after lying quietly for some little time consciousness returns and a condition of relative normality is rapidly regained. In a number of instances death occurs suddenly during a convulsion. When the disease attacks a nursing ewe the lamb appears to be in perfect health so long as it receives a sufficiency of milk. While pruritus is a characteristic feature of scrapie, in a number of cases it is comparatively mild in degree, and in rare instances no appreciable skin irritation is evident. Skin eruptions on the face, neck, and legs have been observed in rams which, although they themselves did not develop symptoms of scrapie, were bred in infected flocks and had sired lambs in which the characteristic symptoms of the disease later developed. Gaiger records an instance in which there was brought 011 to a clean farm a ram which was in relatively poor condition and which developed eruptions on the skin of the fore-legs. The animal was retained in the flock for four years, and although during that time he did not develop symptoms of scrapie the disease developed in each ‘get’ of his progeny when they became gimmers. Gaiger states that in the case of one lot of forty-five ewe lambs sired by this ram every one became affected with scrapie at about the time she gave birth to her first lamb. The symptoms tend to increase in intensity throughout the course of the disease. Scrapie is generally regarded as invariably fatal, although there exist well authenticated records of several cases in which Spontaneous and complete recovery apparently took place. COURSE. The course of the disease shows marked variation in its duration. Instances are known in which a fatal termination — r “ ,..-_.-, ._ .aa. “\ “A. _..._._-_. w“..,v. _..__ - ._. “a..- .ww.--» . —-.‘ t»... . 1.?» .. _: *‘3..-Wr—. i 1M)! -‘ ‘ Milt“ litrl“ 1“ .F i l i a l ‘ ‘ |
| Title | Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 044 |
