Sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF) is an emerging disease in India caused by Ovine herpesvirus-2 which is enzootic worldwide in domestic sheep and transmitted to ruminants including pigs. OvHV-2 is transmitted by contact or aerosol, mainly from less than a year old lambs. Vinod et al. have investigated outbreak of sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever in crossbred cattle in village of Andhra Pradesh. Incubation period of the disease ranges from 11-73 days. Clinical signs are generally widespread and involve many organs. Infected cattle may be presented in five distinct forms: peracute form, head and eye form, alimentary 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.