1. T/F: CAE is a virus.
2. T/F: CAE can be cured.
3. T/F: CAE causes abscesses.
4. T/F: CAE spreads through milk from infected dam to kid.
5. T/F: CAE can be spread through breeding infected bucks to uninfected does.
6. T/F: CAE is largely subclinical so you don’t need to worry about it.
7. T/F: You can tell if a goat has CAE by looking at it.
8. T/F: You can vaccinate for CAE.
9. T/F: CAE affects the milk and infected milk shouldn’t be used by humans.
10. T/F: Negative animals only need to be tested once.
1. True – CAE (Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis) is a viral disease.
2. False – There is no cure for CAE. Once a goat is infected with the virus, they will always carry it and be able to spread it to other goats. Holistic or herbal remedies may boost the immune system and stave off active infection but a goat that has the virus will always have it.
3. False – CAE is often confused with CL (Caseous Lymphandenditis). CL is a bacterial disease that causes large abscesses both externally and internally on a goat. CAE is a viral disease that doesn’t cause abscesses.
4. True – CAE is most commonly spread through colostrum and milk from infected does to uninfected kids. The only way to stop the spread of CAE is to pull kids from their dams at birth and then feed them colostrum replacer or cow colostrum and then heated treated milk or milk replacer. Kids must never receive raw milk from infected goats.
5. True and False –There is much debate as to whether CAE can be transmitted sexually. Due to CAE being a blood borne virus, it is possible that it can be spread through breeding, especially if the goats have open sores or lesions. CAE is spread less commonly through nasal secretions and sputum, especially when the infected goat is suffering from colds or pneumonia. CAE can spread through unsanitized milking equipment.
6. False – Although it is true that CAE is often subclinical in infected goats and shows no symptoms for many years, it still needs to be worried about. It is a known infection that can spread easily from doe to kid, thus all goat breeders need to be aware of it and ready to prevent it in their herds.
7. False - The only way to verify a goat’s CAE status is through blood test. Most of the symptoms of CAE are similar to other goat ailments, thus it is impossible to tell just by looking at a goat if they have CAE or not.
8. False – There is no vaccination for CAE. There is a vaccine for CL. Many people confuse the two diseases and think their goats have been vaccinated for CAE when in fact it was the CL vaccine.
9. False – CAE is a goat only disease. It does not affect the milk or its quality. It does not hurt humans to drink infected milk or handle infected goats.
10. False – Negative animals should be tested annually to make sure they remain uninfected. The only time it is possible to stop testing a negative herd is if you never, ever bring in goats from outside sources or expose your goats to other herds (which is almost impossible especially if you need to bring in new genetics). Since testing is the only true way to tell if your goats are infected, it is good practice to test your herd once a year.
