Abstract
ABSTRACT: This study aimed to carry out a serum epidemiological survey of goat arthritis encephalitis in the sisal region of Bahia, Brazil, and to evaluate risk factors. We evaluated 831 samples of goat blood serum among males and females older than six months, from 49 farms distributed among the municipalities of Araci, Cansanção, Conceição do Coité, Itiúba, Monte Santo, Nordestina, Queimadas, Santa Luz, São Domingos and Valente. An epidemiological questionnaire for the analysis of possible risk factors was applied. All sera were tested for immune-agar gel. The seroprevalence obtained in surveyed herds was 1.56% (13/831). There was significant difference (p<0.05) for animal racial pattern, type of farming and breeding systems. However, when considering herds with predominantly dairy breeds (Saanen and Alpine Pardo), the seropositivity in animals from Valente, Conceição do Coité and São Domingos amounted to 5.06% (12/237). In these municipalities, from 14 properties analyzed, five (38.5%) had at least one positive-testing animal. This result is extremely worrying when one considers that few control measures are adopted by farmers to prevent the goat arthritis encephalitis in the most important dairy region of Bahia state.
Highlights
IntroductionThe goat breeding has gotten promi‐ nence in national scenario
Over the last decades, the goat breeding has gotten promi‐ nence in national scenario
Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE), which is a chronic‐progressive course disease, caused by a non‐oncogenic retrovirus belonging to the lentivirus group of small ruminants (LVPR), is disseminated in the body with‐ out any clinical sign for months or years (STRAUB, 2004)
Summary
The goat breeding has gotten promi‐ nence in national scenario. Several factors interfere in goat breeding yield development (GONÇALVES et al, 2008). Several diseases cause high losses in the sheep and goat breeding. We can highlight those ones of viral origin. In this context, caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE), which is a chronic‐progressive course disease, caused by a non‐oncogenic retrovirus belonging to the lentivirus group of small ruminants (LVPR), is disseminated in the body with‐ out any clinical sign for months or years (STRAUB, 2004). Sick animals may develop clinical conditions characteristic of arthritis, mastitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, and progres‐ sive weigh loss (CALLADO et al, 2001; FRANKE, 1998)
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