Jump directly to main navigation Jump directly to content

Institute of Diagnostic Virology (IVD)

  1. Home
  2. Institutes
  3. Institute of Diagnostic Virology (IVD)
  4. Reference Laboratories
  5. NRL for MV

National Reference Laboratories for Maedi/Visna (MV) and Caprine Arthritis/Encephalitis (CAE)

The Maedi-Visna virus (MVV) and Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis virus (CAEV) belong to the genus ‘Lentivirus’ within the family ‘Retroviridae’. The terms Maedi and Visna are derived from Icelandic (Maedi: dyspnoea; Visna: fatigue) and describe the two main forms of the Maedi-Visna (MV) disease caused by the virus. Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis (CAE) is a disease of goats caused by the CAEV virus. Depending on their age, affected animals show encephalitis, arthritis and mastitis. MVV and CAEV are characterized by long incubation periods and a chronic-progressive course of disease. CAEV of goats and MVV of sheep are closely related. The two viruses have a common group antigen.

  • Detection of CAE- and MV-specific antibodies by means of different ELISAs
  • Isolation and detection of nucleic acids by means of RT-PCR, nested PCR, real time PCR
  • Detection of antibodies by means of ELISA, immunofluorescence, Western blot, FACS
  • Flow cytometry, cell-sorting by means of MoFlo
  • Cell culture
  • Molecular biological methods for cloning and expression of proteins  
  • Sheep and goat sera with MV- or CAE-specific antibodies

NRL for Maedi-Visna:

  • Regulation on reportable animal diseases of December 20, 2005, last modified on April 6, 2009
  • WOAH listed disease

NRL for CAE:

  • WOAH listed disease