Author(s):

Priya Meravi, Amita Tiwari, PC Shukla, RPS Baghel, Brejesh Singh and Anjali Singh

Abstract: Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a fatal lymph proliferative disease of cattle and other ungulates caused by the ruminant gamma-herpes virus, Alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 (AIHV-1) and Ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2). AIHV-1 naturally infects wildebeest and causes wildebeest associated malignant catarrhal fever and OvHV-2 infects all varieties of domestic sheep as a subclinical infection and causes sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever. Sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF) is a form, neurological form and cutaneous form. Typical signs of the disease are corneal opacity, mucopurulent nasal discharge, erosions on tips of buccal papillae etc. Diagnosis of SA-MCF poses significant challenges to veterinarians due to multi-systemic involvement of the disease and symptomatic resemblance to many other diseases in field. The clinical differential diagnosis of MCF should include BVD, FMD, rinderpest, blue tongue, IBR. Virus can be detected by PCR and serological tests as ELISA, CFT and Competitive inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Many therapeutic attempts have been described, including the use of corticosteroids, antibiotics, antivirals, vitamins and other supportive treatments. Medical treatment of cattle comprised one or more of following: procaine penicillin, ceftiofur sodium, oxytetracycline, sulfadimethoxine etc. The recent availability of derivatives of acyclovir compounds that inhibit replication of herpesviruses shows promise in potential treatment regimens. With spread to a large part of the world, SA-MCF has become one of the emerging diseases of ruminants. The prevention of contact between carriers and clinically susceptible species remains the primary method of disease control.

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