We now test yearly, early spring to insure that we stay CAE Neg. We test and post results from EVERY animal we own, so you can feel secure in knowing exactly where we stand.
Testing done by Bio Tracking
The following is an explaination provided by Bio Tracking about what the results mean.
Here is the report for the CAE test on your samples.
This test looks at the ability of antibodies against CAE in the doe's blood to block binding of a labeled CAE antibody which is added as part of the assay. If there is no antibody to CAE in the sample, it does not compete for, or inhibit, binding of the labeled antibody, and the sample is Negative. If the doe or buck has been exposed to CAE and has an appreciable level of antibody in his or her serum, it will successfully compete for or inhibit binding of the labeled antibody. This results in a high level (greater than 40%) of inhibition which is what is measured in the test.
If the inhibition is greater than 40 percent (% Inhibition > 40), we score the test as Positive. If it is less than 30 percent (% Inhibition < 30), we score the test as negative, and between 30 and 40 percent (% Inhibition = 30 to 40) is scored as Marginal.
The assay is very sensitive, and as such the presence of other antibodies can result in a positive or marginal score. If a goat has been recently vaccinated, injured, stressed or is ill, the immune system responds to this by producing antibodies specific to the vaccine or infective agent from an injury or illness. These antibodies are produced in such high amounts (titers), they can overwhelm the assay and result in a false positive or marginal result. If you have an unexpected positive score for one of your animals, please call and we can discuss how other health issues may be contributing to a false positive, and what steps to take for retesting at a later date when these non-specific antibody titers have decreased. Vaccinations can also affect the test in the first few days following the vaccination if the antigen in the vaccine (and consequently in the serum) masks or blocks the CAE antibody binding sites in the assay testing well. This may result in a very high false positive signal, so it is important to remember how these issues can affect your results and plan your blood draws for CAE testing accordingly
Marginal result can be an indication of a recent CAE exposure and antibodies are building up in the serum, or this may be the result of a false positive as discussed in the preceding paragraph. In these cases we suggest you wait for 6 – 8 weeks after any vaccinations, or injury or illness symptoms are gone, then resubmit for a confirmation.
A positive result in kids (less than 1 year of age) may be due to the passive transfer of maternal antibodies through heat treated colostrum or milk. Because kids may test positive for several months, it is suggested that they be tested again after 6 to 8 months of age in order to determine their true CAE status.
If you have any questions about the test or the results please don’t hesitate to call or email me.
Thanks
Chuck Passavant PhD
Sr Research Scientist
BioTracking