The present study found that caprine paratuberculosis is
present and probably prevalent in Chile, particularly in
those dairy goat herds that are modernizing through the
introduction of animals to improve the genetic capacity of
goats for milk production. The paratuberculosis milk
ELISA for goats is fast and inexpensive. Although the
milk ELISA sensitivity is lower than that of serum ELISA,
milk ELISAs can be an effective method for detecting
heavy fecal shedders (Tables 5 and 6). It offers the dairy
goat industry a new affordable tool with which to control
paratuberculosis. As with all indirect diagnostic tests for
paratuberculosis, it is important that at least 1 culture-
confirmed case of paratuberculosis be demonstrated in the
herd before placing confidence in the ELISA results; also,
the infection status of ELISA-positive goats should be
confirmed with culture before removal based on ELISA
results alone in subclinical goats.