CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HERPESVIRUS OF MALIGNANT CATARRHAL FEVER ISOLATED FROM CAPTIVE WILDEBEEST CALVES

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 45  (3) , 409-415
Abstract
A herpesvirus was isolated from buffy coat cells from a newborn wildebeest (C. gnou) and from tissues of a 12 day old wildebeest during the 1982 calving season of a captive, inbred herd maintained in a zoologic collection. Both wildebeests were clinically healthy; there was no herd record that malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) existed. Each viral isolate produced cytopathologic changes in bovine kidney cell cultures (intranuclear inclusions and massive syncytia). The virus-infected cell cultures contained antigens of MCF virus detected by immunofluorescence. The morphology of each viral isolates as determined by EM was that of a herpesvirus. Suspensions of 4-5 ml of disrupted cell culture material which contained virus from each wildebeest were inoculated (i.v.) into white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Each deer became clinically ill within 28 days. Both deer had mucoid catarrh and a febrile response (40.5.degree.-41.degree. C). Each also seroconverted to MCF virus. The histopathologic change in the tissues from the 2 inoculated deer was vasculitis. At 16-17 days after the deer were inoculated, a syncytial-forming virus was isolated from each deer from buffy coat cells fused with polyethylene glycol (1000) to bovine fetal kidney cells. The virus was identified as MCF virus by immunofluorescence and production of antibody to MCF virus. The presence of virus in the inbred wildebeest herd established this species as a reservoir or latent carrier of African MCF virus at the zoologic park.