[skrey-pee, skrap-ee] 
| an infectious, usually fatal brain disease of sheep, characterized by twitching of the neck and head, grinding of the teeth, and scraping of itching portions of skin against fixed objects with a subsequent loss of wool: caused by an unidentified sticky agent that clings to cell membranes. |
| scra·pie (skrā'pē, skrāp'ē) n. A usually fatal disease of sheep and goats, marked by chronic itching, loss of muscular coordination, and progressive degeneration of the central nervous system. [From scrape (from the scraping of itching parts of the skin against objects).] |
| scrapie (skrā'pē, skrāp'ē) Pronunciation Key
A usually fatal, degenerative disease of sheep and goats, marked by chronic itching, loss of muscular coordination, and progressive deterioration of the central nervous system. While the exact cause is unknown, a prion or virus is thought to be the agent of transmission. |
scrapie
fatal neurodegenerative disease of sheep and, less often, goats. Scrapie has existed in Europe for more than 200 years and has been endemic in British sheep, particularly the Suffolk breed, since the early 18th century. It is a particular problem in the United Kingdom, Iceland, France, and Germany. It also occurs in the United States, Canada, parts of Asia, and Africa
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