Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis: Welfare and Herd Management
Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) causes progressive joint disease and neurological illness in goats, with significant chronic welfare implications.
Key Facts
- CAEV is a retrovirus spread primarily through infected colostrum and milk
- Causes arthritis in adult goats (swollen joints, lameness) and neurological disease in kids
- No treatment exists; management focuses on welfare and biosecurity
- Accredited CAE-free herds maintain higher health and welfare standards
- Prevention centers on colostrum heat treatment and separating kids from infected dams
Welfare Considerations
CAEV welfare challenges are chronic and progressive. Adult goats with CAE arthritis experience ongoing joint pain and lameness that worsens over time, requiring pain management and eventually euthanasia when welfare is unacceptable. Kids with neurological CAE deteriorate rapidly. The pervasive nature of CAEV in many goat populations means that welfare impacts are widespread and often accepted as normal. Accreditation programs that achieve CAE-free status dramatically improve herd welfare by eliminating the disease. Prevention through controlled colostrum feeding protocols stops vertical transmission effectively.
What You Can Do
- Test your herd for CAEV and pursue accreditation for CAE-free status
- Implement colostrum heat treatment and kid separation on infected farms
- Provide pain management for arthritic adults to maintain welfare
- Euthanize goats with severe, unmanageable pain promptly
- Purchase replacement stock only from accredited CAE-free herds