A case of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus infection of goats in one of the herds in the Warmia and Mazury voivodship

Caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) is one of the major infectious diseases occurring in goat breeding. The disease is widely distributed, in the world, it also occurs in the countries from which goats have been imported to Poland in the nineties In one of the herds in the Warmia and Mazury voivodship, where animals imported from France are bred, numerous observed symptoms suggested the caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) infection. Serological investigation of goat serum samples collected from the examined farm during the, years 2000-2002 demonstrated CAEV antibody occurrence. The commercial ELISA test C.A.E.V. (Pourquier Institute, France) has been used. The percentage of seropositive goats amounted to 75.9 percent in 2000, 74.5 in 2001 and 84.2 in 2002, which is several times higher than the average level of CAEV antibodies in contaminated herds in Poland (15%). The obtained results confirmed the assumption that the disease had been brought from France. The results also testify to the necessity of performing serological examinations for CAE in goatherds in Poland, particularly if they include animals imported from countries where the disease is widespread.