In the United States, the Scrapie Flock Certification Program is described as:

• A. Is mandatory for all sheep farmers with more than 10 sheep
• B. Is only available to farmers who have not vaccinated their sheep against scrapie
• C. Is voluntary and identifies flocks that are free of evidence of scrapie for a certain amount of time, e.g. 5 years
• D. Is also known as the Scrapie Eradication Program

Answer: (C)

The main thing being tested is how the Scrapie Flock Certification Program is structured in the United States. This program is voluntary and aims to identify flocks that have been free of scrapie for a set period of time, typically several years (often five). By meeting surveillance and management criteria and remaining free of evidence of scrapie for that period, a flock can attain a certified status that signals its scrapie-free condition. It’s not mandatory for all sheep producers, it isn’t based on vaccination, and it isn’t simply another name for an eradication program—the voluntary certification status feeds into the broader national efforts to control and ultimately eradicate scrapie.