Effects of infection by caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus on milk production of goats.

The effects of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus on lactational performance of goats were examined. The results of an ELISA for antibodies against caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus were compared with milk production records. Mean production of milk, protein, fat, and lactose and somatic cell counts were compared for seropositive and seronegative goats of similar ages. The results from 1799 lactating goats from 66 herds suggested that milk production was similar for 1-yr-old goats that tested seropositive and those that tested seronegative. For 900 of those goats for which data permitted comparison, milk fat and protein were also similar. A comparison of 331 goats showed that lactose contents did not differ between 1- and 2-yr-old goats, but somatic cell counts were higher in 2-yr-old seropositive goats.