MALIGNANT CATARRHAL FEVER (MCF) CaDDiS Home Page



Malignant catarrhal fever is an infectious viral disease of cattle. Two viruses are responsible for the disease, one harboured by wildebeest and the other by sheep. The wildebeest related infection only occurs in Africa, while the other has been reported in most countries when cattle are raised. The course of the disease ranges from the peracute form of 1 or 2 days to an extreme of 4 weeks. The usual rang, however, is between 4 and 14 days. The disease is usually fatal with death occurring within 10 days. Treatment is of little value and no vaccines have been developed so far. Emphasis should be on the prevention of the disease. Cattle should be prevented from contacting wildebeest when calving. For the sheep associated infections, the infected animals should be isolated and the separation of sheep and cattle may be helpful, particularly at lambing time.
 

Clinical signs:

The most common first signs of malignant catarrhal fever are clear, copious nasal discharge and lacrimation which are quickly followed by a mucopurulent, dark, nasal discharge with encrustation of the nostrils. This may cause the affected animals difficulties in breathing. Discharges from the eyes may also be observed on these animals. Soon after, the affected animals may also develop a high fever and appear to be very depressed and stop eating. They may quickly get dehydrated and the lymph nodes on the head and neck become enlarged. These animals appear to dislike the light and blink excessively. Eventually, the eyes may become opaque. In sheep-related infections, blood-stained diarrhoea can often be observed. There may be inflammation of the soft tissues under the hooves which can cause the feet to be hot and painful.
 

Treatment:

Treatment is of little value, however, administration of antibiotics or sulfonamides for control of secondary infection, or the use of supportive therapy (fluid) may be worthwhile in valuable individuals. In general, emphasis should be on the prevention of the disease.
 

Control measures:

MCF is usually fatal, however, the incidence is usually not high enough to justify herd disposal or the development of a vaccine. The wildebeest associated infections can be avoided by preventing cattle from contacting wildebeest herds, especially, when they are calving. To control the sheep-related infections, contact between cattle and sheep should be avoided, particularly during the lambing season.
 

WWW Sites of Relevance

Deer Industry Association of Australia