CAE
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus

CAE is a retro virus and can be detected with 95% accuracy (POS) after 90 days of exposure in adult animals. Prior to ninety days, a NEG test indicates that an animal has not been exposed or has been exposed within 90 days but has not yet developed antibodies. Tests on kids prior to six months are not accurate because they may not show antibodies and have been exposed or they may show antibodies absorbed during gestation but not carry the disease. Kids should be tested at six months.

CAE is transmitted through blood, milk or colostrums. Adult-to-adult transmission is rare except where a doe is exposed to another doe’s milk or colostrum during lactation. There is not evidence that it is transmitted during sexual intercourse. Kids that are not allowed to suckle their dam after birth can be kept from acquiring CAE but should be tested at six months. Any positive animal should be isolated from the herd.

To know an animal is truly negative, it should be tested negative and then kept from exposure for 90 days and test negative again. A herd should test all animals negative and then test all negative again in 90 days without the introduction of new animals or exposure to other animals.

This information is from the veterinary staff at WADDL, Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab, and from the Merck Veterinary Manual websites and Infovets website. Infovets is a subscription-based site. The sites are listed below:

WADDL

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/serology.asp

Merck

http://www.merckvetmanual.com

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/
index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/54600.htm

Infovet

http://www.infovets.com

http://www.infovets.com/styles/default.asp?
page=extra/smrmtoc.htm