A decision by the Sydney Royal Show to allow dairy goats not tested for so-called “big knee” virus means none of the goats will be allowed at the Royal Queensland Show in August.

Royal Queensland decided to ban the goats after Sydney Royal organizers relaxed disease control rules for this week’s show.

In a statement, Royal Queensland organizers said they would stand by their tradition of assuring all goats are free of diseases, including big knee virus, formally known as Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis or CAE, which causes wasting in goats.

“If (our) dairy goats mix with non-accredited, non-tested animals, there is a risk of them contracting the virus and spreading it to dairy goats” at the Royal Queensland Show, said Philip Harpham, chairman of the Queensland show’s veterinary and dairy goat committees.

Harpham said Royal Queensland organizers consulted Biosecurity Queensland before deciding to ban the Sydney goats.

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