[Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in sheep and goats]

Scrapie has been known to occur in sheep and goats for over 250 years. Sheep and goats can be experimentally infected orally with BSE, however BSE infection can only be distinguished from scrapie using costly and extensive laboratory procedures. An overview of both the current state of knowledge on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE) in small ruminants as well as the TSE monitoring and control strategies in place in Switzerland is presented.