[Clinical and pathological findings in an alpaca suffering from malignant catarrhal fever]

Abstract

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a worldwide occurring sporadic disease of cloven-hoofed animals. For the first time, this case report describes clinical and pathological as well as histopathological findings in an alpaca suffering from MCF caused by ovine herpesvirus 2. Clinical symptoms comprised apathy, dehydration, anorexia, and emaciation. These symptoms were unspecific and did not correspond to any known course of MCF in cattle. However, the findings of the pathological and histopathological examination showed broad analogies to the main findings in other ruminants infected with MCF. In this alpaca, infection with ovine herpesvirus 2 was confirmed by postmortal PCR of tissue samples of lung, trachea, oesophagus, larynx and tonsils as well as conjunctival swabs.