Evaluation of strategic control of caprine arthritis- encephalitis in dairy herd goats

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the periodic use of more sensitive diagnostic tests associated to management practices for the effective control of caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE). We carried out eight blood samples in does and bucks. From the first to the seventh analysis, the samples were quarterly, using Agarose Gel Immunodiffusion (AGID), Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA) and Western Blot (WB) tests. The eighth collection was made six months after the seventh, using the WB and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The prevalence of CAE was 6.8%, 14.9% and 39.2% in the AGID, i-ELISA and WB respectively. The last analysis detected 0.9% of animals positive by WB and 10.8% by PCR. Although they do not eradicate CAE, steps taken together with the periodic use of serological tests and the combination with PCR were important to significantly reduce positive animals in the herd.