SFCP Scrapie Testing

As part of the SFCP, producers are required to test a brain and retropharyngeal lymph node sample from all sheep or goats over 12 months of age that die or are humanely destroyed on the enrolled premises. Samples must be submitted for scrapie testing by a CFIA-approved lab.

The head (containing the brain and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes) of the animal may be submitted directly to an approved laboratory by the producer, or the accredited veterinarian may collect brain and lymph node samples for submission to either an approved laboratory or to a CFIA district office to be sent to a CFIA laboratory (as part of the national scrapie surveillance program). The brain and lymph node samples may be collected by a trained third party under the supervision of the accredited veterinarian however, the responsibility of the sample collection and submission remains with the accredited veterinarian. In all cases, the head (or the samples) should be chilled or frozen immediately.

The owner must contact the laboratory or the accredited veterinarian must contact the CFIA district office in advance before submitting a head. The head must bear animal identification.

For accredited veterinarians interested in learning the technique for obex removal, click the following link for instructions: Appendix A (obex)

For accredited veterinarians interested in learning the techniques for lymph node sampling procedures, click the following links for instructions: Appendix B (lymph node) and Sampling