An epizootic of malignant catarrhal fever. 2. Laboratory investigations

Authors: Oliver RE, Horner GW, Hunter R
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 23, Issue 3, pp 35-38, Mar 1975
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Cattle, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Abdomen, Alimentary system/gastroenterology, Diagnostic procedures, Disease/defect, Viral, Syndrome, Infectious disease, Pathology
Article class: Scientific Article

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Abstract: Bovine malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) has been reported in New Zealand (MacKinnon and Le Souef, 1956) and in other parts of the world (Blood and Henderson, 1968). The disease has also been reported in deer in Europe (Huck et al 1961), North America (Pierson et al 1974) and has been seen in New Zealand (G. Shirley, pers. comm.). There is a large amount of epizootiologic evidence that suggests that the causative agent of MCF is transmitted by inapparently infected sheep to cattle (sheep-associated MCF), and that contact spread between cattle does not occur (Plowright, 1968). As well as the sheep-associated form of MCF, which is world-wide in distribution, Plowright et al (1960) have described a wildebeest-associated form of MCF in Africa from which a cell-associated herpes virus has been isolated from wildebeest and affected cattle and used to reproduce the disease in cattle. This paper describes attempts to isolate a virus from an epizootic of MCF in New Zealand, and secondly to reproduce the disease in experimental animals. Details of the epizootic have been reported (James et al 1974).

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