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Subclinical mastitis and clinical arthritis in French Alpine goats serologically positive for caprine artritis-encephalitis virus

The prevalence and aetiology of subclinical mastitis in goats seropositive for Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) and the connection with the occurrence of clinical arthritis were investigated on 543 French Alpine goats from intensive production farms in North West Croatia. The aim was to determine if seropositivity to CAEV is connected with susceptibility to subclinical mastitis of bacterial aetiology, and to examine if CAEV is the main reason for the occurrence of clinical arthritis in the investigated sample. All the goats were examined clinically and the presence of arthritis was noted. The blood samples were tested for CAEV antibodies using the immunoenzyme test. Milk samples from each udder half were examined for the bacteriological cause of mastitis. All the collected data were cross-classified in two-way contingency tables. Of the total number of goats, CAEV was serologically confirmed in 50.8%. Subclinical mastitis was confirmed in 52.3% of the goats. Both subclinical mastitis and seropositivity to CAEV were diagnosed in 30% of the total number. Of the total sample 21.9% were seropositive to CAEV and with clinical arthritis. Statistical tests confirmed a positive association for subclinical mastitis occurrence and seropositivity to CAEV. A similar result was obtained for the association between clinical arthritis and seropositivity to CAEV. A weak positive association between subclinical mastitis and clinical arthritis occurrence was also recorded. These results indicate that a developed clinical manifestation of the disease could also influence higher manifestation of subclinical mastitis. Results also suggest that CAEV infection could be one of the main reasons for clinical arthritis occurrence in the investigated herds.

goats, caprine arthritis encephalitis virus, seropositive, mastitis, arthritis, ELISA, bacteriology

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