Detection and Multigenic Characterization of a Herpesvirus Associated with Malignant Catarrhal Fever in White-Tailed Deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) from Missouri

Abstract

, tissues from four captive white-tailed deer were observed to have histologic lesions of systemic lymphocytic vasculitis. These lesions suggested malignant catarrhal fever, although epizootic hemorrhagic disease and bluetongue were included in the differential diagnosis. Initial diagnostic efforts, including virus isolation and reverse transcription-PCR for epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and bluetongue virus, failed to identify an etiologic agent. However, consensus primer PCR targeted to the herpesvirus DNA polymerase gene detected viral genomic DNA in each of these four cases. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the amplified product demonstrated that the detected virus was identical over the compared region to the recently described malignant catarrhal fever virus of white-tailed deer (H. Li, N. Dyer, J. Keller, and T. B. Crawford, J. Clin. Microbiol. 38:1313-1318, 2000). Additional nucleotide sequencing of both the DNA polymerase gene and DNA packaging gene followed by phylogenetic analysis solidified this newly recognized herpesvirus as a member of the Gammaherpesvirinae and suggests that this virus, along with ovine herpesvirus 2, alcelaphine herpesvirus 1, alcelaphine herpesvirus 2 and caprine herpesvirus 2, may be part of a separate clade within this subfamily.Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) affects a broad range of domestic and exotic ruminants (12,20), including at least 13 species of deer (22). The distribution of MCF is worldwide, and the clinical course is typically severe and frequently fatal (20), although inapparent infections do occur in susceptible hosts (13) and cattle have been reported to be chronically infected with and to recover from MCF (18). MCF is usually sporadic, with limited morbidity in a population, although severe epizootics with high morbidity and mortality have been reported (3,10,27). Two gammaherpesviruses, alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AHV1) and ovine herpesvirus 2 (OHV2) (previously referred to as sheep-associated MCF virus), are considered to be the principal etiologic agents of MCF. Both AHV1 and OHV2 are apathogenic in their natural hosts, i.e., wildebeest and sheep, respectively. Transmission to susceptible ruminants can usually be associated with close contact between carrier sheep or wildebeest calves. However, spread by contact between infected cattle, and presumably other susceptible ruminants as well, does not readily occur (5,20). While the reason for the lack of transmission between susceptible animals has not been proven, it is likely that the clinically susceptible hosts do not shed sufficient levels of cell-free, infectious virus to infect herdmates.Recently, a third gammaherpesvirus was detected from the tissues of white-tailed deer with lesions that were characteristic of MCF (14). A combination of molecular and virological testing demonstrated that the affected deer were negative for OHV2 and AHV1 as well as a number of other potential etiologic agents. Genetically, this newly identified herpesvirus was found to be closely related to the other viruses known ...

Malignant Catarrhal Fever in Free-Ranging Cervids Associated With Ovhv-2 and CPHV-2 Dna

“…Included in this group are the well-known alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) (Plowright et al, 1960) and ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) (Baxter et al, 1993), endemic in wildebeest (Connochaetes spp.) and domestic sheep, respectively, and two further viruses identified in later years, caprine herpesvirus 2 (CpHV-2) endemic in domestic goats (Li et al, 2001a), and a virus of unknown origin causing MCF in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (MCFV-WTD) (Li et al, 2000;Kleiboeker et al, 2002). Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 is known to cause the classic ''African'' form of MCF, and OvHV-2 causes the sheepassociated MCF that occurs worldwide in a range of ruminants (Plowright, 1990;Heuschele and Reid, 2001), whereas CpHV-2 has been found to cause disease in sika deer (Cervus nippon) (Crawford et al, 2002;Keel et al, 2003) and whitetailed deer (Li et al, 2003b).…”

The Pathology of Malignant Catarrhal Fever, With an Emphasis on Ovine Herpesvirus 2

“…43 Some cervid species, particularly white-tailed deer and Père David's deer (E. davidianus), are highly susceptible. 11,53,77,98,100 Moose (Alces alces) and elk (Cervus canadensis) appear to be moderately susceptible. Fallow deer (Dama dama) are relatively resistant.…”

Malignant Catarrhal Fever-Like Disease in Barbary Red Deer (Cervus elaphus barbarus) Naturally Infected with a Virus Resembling Alcelaphine Herpesvirus 2

“…MCF has been recognized in at least 13 species of deer, including mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and red deer (Cervus elaphus) (2,18,33,36). Among these, molecular characterization of the causative virus has been done only for the white-tailed deer outbreaks from 1998 to 2001 (15,18).…”