Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma be predisposed to OPA. Most affected sheep show signs at 2 to 4 years of age. OPA is not a notifiable disease, and therefore it is difficult to assess its prevalence. OPA was first described in the UK in 1888, and described in detail in South Africa in 1891. The disease was initially known as "jaagsiekte" , a word derived from Afrikaans, meaning "chasing sickness," so called because animals are in respiratory distress as if they are out of breath from being chased. It has also been known as sheep pulmonary adenomatosis and ovine pulmonary carcinoma. OPA has been used
Alternatives to animal testing Alternatives to animal testing Alternatives to animal testing are the development and implementation of test methods that avoid the use of live animals. There is widespread agreement that a reduction in the number of animals used and the refinement of testing to reduce suffering should be important goals for the industries involved. Two major alternatives to "in vivo" animal testing are "in vitro" cell culture techniques and "in silico" computer simulation. However, some claim they are not true alternatives because simulations use data from prior animal experiments and cell cultures often require animal derived products, such as serum or cells.