Caprine arthritis encephalitis
Also known as Big knee and Caprine retrovirus infection
Description
The Caprine arthritis and encephalitis (CAE) virus is a lentivirus (slow virus) in the family Retroviridae. CAE virus infection is widespread in dairy goat breeds. Most goats acquire the infection at an early age and they remain infected for life. Only a proportion develop clinical disease months to years later. CAE is primarily transmitted through ingestion of virus-infected colostrum or milk; however horizontal transmission also occurs by direct animal contact or contaminated fomites.
CAE virus infection in kids from one to six months old may result in encephalomyelitis and includes clinical signs of posterior weakness and ataxia progressing to paralysis. Arthritis occurs predominantly in adult goats and is most noticeable in the carpal joints, giving rise to the term ‘big knee’. Clinical signs in adult animals may include lameness, ill thrift, weight loss, viral and indurative mastitis (‘hard udder’) and chronic progressive pneumonia.
Diagnosis and tests available
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is supported by history, clinical signs, viral serology and histopathology.
Since the majority of infected animals are subclinical, viral serology is the preferred method for detecting infection in individual goats and herds. A positive viral serology result infers infection, but does not confirm that the clinical signs are caused by CAE virus.
Histopathology can assist in providing a definitive diagnosis.
Tests available
Test | Sample(s) required | Days of the week test is conducted | Turnaround time1 |
|---|---|---|---|
Caprine arthritis and encephalitis virus antibody ELISA | Clotted blood (red top tube) | Batch tested weekly | Up to 7 days |
Histopathology examination | Fixed tissue | Monday –Friday | Up to 2 weeks for brain samples. Up to 5 days for all other sample types. |
1 Turnaround times are provided as a guide only. For specific information about your submission please contact Customer Service.
Additional Information
Specimen requirements
| Blood (without anti-coagulant) |
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| Fixed tissue |
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Additional information
- Interpretation of viral serology: Adult does should not be tested in the period of one month before or after kidding as inconsistent results may occur. In addition, no goat should be tested within one month of vaccination. The antibody against CAE virus is not a protective antibody, so any antibody positive animal should be regarded as infected. Because the virus is transmitted in colostrum, a kid that has acquired antibody through colostrum is likely to be infected. It can take up to three months, rarely up to two years, for antibodies to develop after exposure to the virus. Suspect animals with a negative test result should be retested in a few months time to confirm their negative status.
- For more comprehensive information on the disease, testing and control in NSW, see the Primefact, Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) (PDF, 74.21 KB).
- NSW DPI administers a CAE accreditation scheme. For information on the scheme contact biosecurity@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Customer Service
Contact Customer Service for enquiries relating to testing and results, quotations and pricing, couriers, sample submission and invoicing.
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CONTACT DETAILS | |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1800 675 623 |
| Operating Hours | 8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays) 8:30am-12:00pm Saturday (for deliveries only) |
| Postal Address | Private Bag 4008, Narellan NSW 2567 |
Quotations
For Animal export, Plant health or Veterinary quotations, please complete the online quotation request
For Edible oil & oilseed or Feed quality quotations and pricing enquiries, please contact DPI AgEnviro Labs at Wagga Wagga on (02) 6938 1957
For Plant nutrition, Soil health or Water quality quotations and pricing enquiries, please contact DPI AgEnviro Labs at Wollongbar on (02) 6626 1103
Submission Forms
Veterinary Specimen Advice Form
Please Note: These documents are not fully web accessible, please contact Customer Service (laboratory.services@dpi.nsw.gov.au) for more information.
Courier services and specimen delivery
For NSW submissions, please contact the relevant Customer Service team for courier account details and to order consignment notes.
For submitters outside of NSW, Couriers can be contacted directly to make bookings and arrange collection of packages at the submitters own cost.
Commercial couriers may use either road or air transport and specimens should therefore be packed in accordance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements. Most submission sent by veterinarians to the SVDL for testing are defined as “Biological Substance Category B” and must be packed according to the IATA packing instructions 650 (Biological Substance Category B). As requirements for transport can change, customers should consult with their transport agent to obtain current requirements.
Samples may also be hand delivered to the site during normal business hours (8.30am - 4.30pm).
Sample Type | Laboratory | Street Address |
|---|---|---|
Animal (including aquatic animals) | NSW Animal and Plant Health Laboratories (APHL) | EMAI, Woodbridge Road, Menangle NSW 2568 |
