INVESTIGATION ON MALIGNANT CATARRHAL FEVER VIRUS IN WILD RUMINANTS

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a fatal disease responsible for the mortality of domestic, wild ruminant species and those inhabiting zoological garden. The aim of this study is to investigate pathohystological and molecular biological peculiarities of MCF viruses isolated in large and small wild ruminants from the zoos of Sofia and Varna. Different samples originated from 14 dead and alive wild animals (4 bisons, 3 gaurs, 2 yaks, camel, 2 cameroon goats, 1 hippopotamus, and 1 capricorn) were used for investigations. Typical pathological changes have observed as mild circumferential limbal keratitis, disseminated foci of consolidation of pulmonary lobes, hemorrhagic cystitis, superficial necroses in small intestine and petehiae and haemorrhages in fore stomach. Bronchointerstitial pneumonia with hyaline membrane formation, lymphocytic-histiocytic endarteritis and phlebitis, hemorrhages in urinary bladder, hypoplasia of spleen, necrosis of the superficial epithelium of intestine and ulceration, in lymph node subcapsular lymphoid and histiocytic trafficking, neutrophils and mononuclear cells and carbonate uroliths in kidneys, subendocardial and subepicardial haemorrhages and huge necrosis in hard musculature were observed. By conventional and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for MCF virus of organ samples and cell cultural MCF virus isolates bands with molecular weight of 422 bp and 238 bp respectively were observed.