Malignant Catarrhal Fever in Brazilian cattle presenting with neurological syndrome

Martins, Maira de S.N.Castro, Alessandra M.M.G. deLima, Michele dos S.Pinto, Vivian da S.C.Silva, Thaís G. daFava, Claudia DelDepes, Claudio RegisOkuda, Liria H.Pituco, Edviges M.

Abstract Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) was investigated in the central nervous system of cattle with neurological syndrome. Two-hundred-ninety samples were analyzed by histology, and molecular methods to detect ovine herpesvirus type 2 (OvHV-2) were optimized and validated. The qualitative polymerase chain reaction (qualitative PCR) analytical sensitivity was 101 DNA copies/µL and found 4.8% (14/290) positive for OvHV-2. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analytical sensitivity was 100 DNA copy/µL and 5.9% (17/290) positivity, with 47.1% (8/17) of the positive samples presenting histological evidence of non-purulent meningo-encephalitis. The qualitative PCR products (422 bp of the ORF75 region) were sequenced and submitted to phylogenetic analysis. Identity matrices showed 100% similarity in OvHV-2 samples obtained in this study and those recovered from GenBank, corroborating other studies.

1. Quantitative PCR
2. Histopathology
3. Qualitative PCR
4. Phylogenetic analysis
5. Ovine herpesvirus type 2 (OvHV-2)