CAE virus causes progressive arthritis, encephalitis, and mastitis in goats. Welfare management requires early testing, biosecurity, and supportive care for affected animals.
CAE causes a spectrum of welfare harms depending on the form expressed. Arthritic adults experience progressive, worsening joint pain that is clearly visible as swollen carpi, stiff gait, and reluctance to move. Over months to years, the joints become severely deformed and mobility is dramatically compromised. Affected goats lose condition due to reduced feed access and chronic pain-driven metabolic costs.
The encephalitic form in young kids causes particular welfare concern because of its rapid and fatal course. Affected kids develop progressive hindlimb weakness and paralysis between 2-6 months of age, usually progressing to death within weeks. Managing this welfare burden requires recognizing the condition early and making humane euthanasia decisions promptly.
Control programs center on preventing colostrum-mediated transmission. CAE-free herds maintain status by separating kids at birth, providing heat-treated or CAE-negative colostrum, and annual serological testing. Sourcing replacements only from tested CAE-negative herds maintains closed herd status. The UK CAE Accreditation Scheme provides a structured framework for achieving and maintaining CAE-free status.