title: Detection and molecular characterization of naturally transmitted sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever in cattle in India.
abstract: Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a fatal herpesvirus infection of domestic and wild ruminants, with a short and dramatic clinical course characterized primarily by high fever, severe depression, swollen lymph nodes, salivation, diarrhea, dermatitis, neurological disorders, and ocular lesions often leading to blindness. In the present study, fatal clinical cases of sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF) were identified in cattle in the state of Karnataka. These cases were initially presented with symptoms of diarrhea, respiratory distress, conjunctivitis, and nasal discharges. Laboratory diagnosis confirmed the detection of ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) genome in the peripheral blood samples of two ailing animals. The blood samples collected subsequently from sheep of the neighboring areas also showed presence of OvHV-2 genome indicating a nidus of infection in the region. The positive test results were further confirmed by nucleotide sequencing of the OIE approved portion of tegument gene as well as complete ORF8 region of the OvHV-2 genome. Phylogenetic analysis based on the sequence of the latter region indicated close genetic relationship with other OvHV-2 reported elsewhere in the world.
authors.affiliation: High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, richa.bhatia0609@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.forename: Rekha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khandia
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: Divakar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hemadri
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Sharan S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Atul K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pateriya
authors.forename: Arshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.forename: Malkanna Sanjeev
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Mudalagiri Dasappa
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Venkatesha
authors.forename: Diwakar D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007194:India; D008304:Malignant Catarrh / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral