07/13/09, 11:48 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Alaska
Posts: 3,606
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I hope she's better. I don't have any information for you on what she could have, but with regard to CAE:
See: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/in...m/bc/55000.htm
This is but one source, but it does state, in part (emphasis mine):
Quote:
...Caprine arthritis and encephalitis (CAE) virus infection is manifested clinically as polyarthritis in adult goats and less commonly as progressive paresis (leukoencephalomyelitis) in kids....
Prevalence of infection increases with age but is not influenced by sex. Most goats are infected at an early age, remain virus positive for life, and develop disease months to years later.
The chief mode of spread of CAE is through ingestion of virus-infected goat colostrum or milk by kids... Horizontal transmission also contributes to disease spread within herds and may occur through direct contact, exposure to fomites at feed bunks and waterers, ingestion of contaminated milk in milking parlors, or serial use of needles or equipment contaminated with blood. Unlikely methods of transmission, as indicated by experimental studies, include in utero transmission to the fetus, infection of the kid during parturition, and infection through breeding or embryo transfer.
Arthritis is the syndrome exhibited by adult goats infected with CAE virus. Clinical signs include joint capsule distention and varying degrees of lameness. The carpal joints are most frequently involved. The onset of arthritis may be sudden or insidious, but the clinical course is always progressive. Affected goats lose condition and usually have poor hair coats. Encephalomyelitis is generally seen in kids 2-4 mo old but has been described in older kids and adult goats. Affected kids initially exhibit lameness, ataxia, and hindlimb placing deficits. Hypertonia and hyperreflexia are also common. Over time, signs progress to paraparesis or tetraparesis and paralysis. Depression, head tilt, circling, opisthotonos, torticollis, and paddling have also been described. The interstitial pneumonia component of CAE virus infection rarely produces clinical signs in kids...
A presumptive diagnosis can be based on clinical signs and history. Traumatic arthritis, and infectious arthritis caused by Mycoplasma spp , are differential diagnoses for arthritis induced by CAE virus. Differential diagnoses for the progressive paresis and paralysis exhibited by young kids should include enzootic ataxia, spinal cord abscess, cerebrospinal nematodiasis, spinal cord trauma, and congenital anomalies of the spinal cord and vertebral column. If neurologic examination indicates brain involvement, polioencephalomalacia, listeriosis, and rabies should be considered as possible causes. The pulmonary form of caseous lymphadenitis may have a similar clinical presentation to the pulmonary form of CAE in adult goats...
Kids infected at birth develop a measurable antibody response 4-10 wk after infection. However, positive test results in kids <90 days old usually reflect colostral antibody transfer. Negative test results do not reliably rule out CAE virus infection, because the time for postinfection seroconversion is variable and occasional goats have a very low titer that may not be detectable. Low antibody titers are common in late pregnancy. Because of the limitations of serologic testing, definitive diagnosis of clinical CAE requires demonstration of characteristic lesions in biopsy specimens or at necropsy. Virus isolation should be performed to further substantiate the diagnosis...
There are no specific treatments for any of the clinical syndromes associated with CAE virus infection. However, supportive treatments may benefit individual goats. The condition of goats with the arthritic form of CAE may be improved with regular foot trimming, use of additional bedding, and administration of NSAID such as phenylbutazone or aspirin. Goats with encephalomyelitis can be maintained for weeks with good nursing care. Antimicrobial therapy is indicated to treat secondary bacterial infections that may complicate the interstitial pneumonia or indurative mastitis components of CAE virus infection. Providing high-quality, readily digestible feed to goats positive for CAE virus may delay the onset of the wasting syndrome. In commercial herds, one or more of the following have been recommended for control of CAE: 1) permanent isolation of kids beginning at birth; 2) feeding of heat-treated colostrum (56°C for 60 min) and pasteurized milk; 3) frequent serologic testing of the herd (semiannually), with identification and segregation of seronegative and seropositive goats; and 4) eventual culling of seropositive goats. If the control program includes segregation of herds into seropositive and seronegative groups, shared equipment should be disinfected using phenolic or quaternary ammonium compounds.
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More information that supports much of the above:
http://www.vet.uga.edu/VPP/clerk/logan/index.php
http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AI/shee...CEPHALITIS.pdf
This one has some information verbatim of the one I quote above, but does mention that it has been found in a kid as young as 1 month old:
http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factshe...cephalitis.pdf
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