This is the second case of the disease found on Hardangervidda. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority reports this in a press release on Thursday evening. The first case was found in September 2020. Now the second case has been confirmed by samples analyzed at the Veterinary Institute. – Tonight we feel a brutal disappointment and despair, says Endre Lægreid who is the leader of Villreinnemda on Hardangervidda. Already halved the stock The hunt was finished on 30 September. Therefore, the hunters had a dawning hope, on 5 October, that no more cases of scrapie would be found this year. After a buck was diagnosed with the disease two years ago, samples have been taken of all adult animals. Since then, huge interventions have been made in the stock, says Lægreid. DISAPPOINTED: Endre Lægreid leads Villreinnemda on Hardangervidda. He is very disappointed after receiving this evening’s sad news from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Photo: Arne Sørenes / news – We have already halved the stock to deal with the problem of scrapie. The buck population has been reduced from 28 per cent as it was before scrapie, to 6–7 per cent as it is now. He says they fear that the discovery of the disease in more animals could have further consequences. – The situation would have been far better if no more cases had been found. Can change recommendations According to the director of the department, Inge Erlend Næsset, due to regulations and controls in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, it is too early to say anything about how many animals are infected in total. – New calculations must now be made and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority is awaiting these. We will also have a close dialogue with local parties in the process going forward. The new finding may make it relevant for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency to change the recommendations they are already working on. The plan was to give the ministries a recommendation on the way forward in handling the disease on 1 November. Næsset reminds that hunters are a very central part of the fight – It is incredibly important that hunters take samples for scrapie from animals they kill while hunting. We are impressed and very grateful for the role that hunters play in mapping this very serious animal disease. – A shot for the bow Lægreid in Villreinnemda has been part of a working group that will propose measures based on various scenarios after this year’s hunt. – Finding an additional case does not necessarily mean major changes in strategy. But it is clear that compared to not finding more, this is a shot in the arm. He adds that this evening’s news is very sad. – It is a serious setback for everyone who is fond of reindeer, and especially for those who have an extra heart for the fjord. Slope disease: A very serious and contagious disease in reindeer and other deer. There is no treatment for sick animals, and the outcome is always fatal for animals that become infected. The animals become infected by taking in prions through the mouth or nose. Infection can be transmitted through direct contact between animals, or indirectly by healthy animals coming into contact with the infectious agent in the environment (pasture, infected carcasses). The incubation period is long, up to several years, and the animals are apparently healthy for large parts of this period. However, they excrete prions in faeces, saliva, urine and nasal secretions long before they show signs of illness. Prions retain their infectivity even after a long time in the wild.
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New case of scrapie on Hardangervidda – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
