title: An outbreak of malignant catarrhal fever in young rusa deer (Cervus timorensis).
abstract: On the basis of clinical signs and histological findings eight 9-month-old male rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) were diagnosed with sheep associated-malignant catarrhal fever. Following a variable course involving rectal temperatures around 40.5 degrees C, depression, inappetence, diarrhoea, corneal opacity and hypopyon all animals died or were euthanased over a 5-week period. Severe multifocal vasculitis, mainly periglomerular and in the arcuate vessels were consistent histological findings which in the past have been adequate to confirm clinical diagnosis of sheep associated-malignant catarrhal fever. A nested polymerase chain reaction test has been used to detect a sheep associated-malignant catarrhal fever PRC product, 238 base-pairs in size, in DNA extracted from lymphocyte preparations. The result supported the diagnosis of sheep associated-malignant catarrhal fever in these deer.
authors.affiliation: Division of Farm Animal Medicine and Production, University of Queensland.
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Tomkins
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: McColl
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D003670:Deer; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008304:Malignant Catarrh / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral