VMRD has obtained a USDA-license for its Johne’s disease ELISA kit for use on serum samples from goats. Zoetis is the only other company that has licensed their Johne’s disease ELISA kit for use on goat serum samples in the U.S. There are, however, other ELISA kits suitable for use on goat serum or plasma outside the U.S. Accuracy data from the company (shown below) indicate that this new kit performs well with only fecal PCR and necropsy having a higher diagnostic sensitivity. The VMRD kit is also licensed for use on serum samples from cattle.
Commentary: These data are provided by VMRD. This website makes no claims as to their accuracy. Johne’s disease is prevalent among goats of all types, Boer goats used for meat, Saanen goats used for dairy production, and Pygmy goats or Nigerian dwarf goats used as pets. The ability of goat owners in the U.S. to have ELISA testing done for Johne’s disease using a kit approved for use in goats by the USDA will help in the control of this expanding infection.