Caprine arthritis-encephalitis: review of the neurologic form in 30 cases

A pronounced age predisposition was noticed in a study of 30 goats with the neurologic form of caprine arthritis-encephalitis. Most affected animals were between 2 and 4 months of age, but ages ranged from 1 month to 20 years. Clinically, mild to moderate fever was recorded for approximately half of the patients. Brain involvement (in 16 of 30 goats) was most commonly identified by depression, head tilt, torticollis, and circling. Signs of spinal cord involvement were most frequently those of white matter damage: hypertonia, hyperreflexia, and para- or tetraparesis. In approximately 90% of patients, there were increases in protein content and WBC numbers in the cerebrospinal fluid. Microscopic lesions were most frequent in the brain and cervical portion of the spinal cord and consisted of a nonsuppurative inflammatory response and demyelination with preservation of axons.