Malignant Catarrhal Fever PCR test now available from AFBI
Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) is a severe disease of cattle, deer and other hoofed animals and AFBI now offer a MCF PCR to detect virus nucleotides that compliments the existing MCF antibody test.
In the UK and Ireland MCF is most commonly caused by Ovine Herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) infection and is commonly found in sheep, who are lifelong carriers, but are often undetected as the infection is subclinical. However, MCF in cattle can result in a morbidity rate of >95%, with death occurring within 5-10 days of clinical onset. No vaccine or specific treatments are currently available.
Whilst transmission from sheep to cattle is poorly understood, it is recognised that pregnant or recently lambed sheep and neonatal lambs pose the greatest risk of spreading MCF to cattle, so avoidance of co-grazing or housing of sheep and cattle together is recommended.
MCF can affect multiple organ systems, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological, and skin. Symptoms can appear months after initial contact, and they can include:
- Reduced milk yield
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Depression
- Enlargement of all lymph nodes
- Corneal opacity
- Discharge from the eyes and nose
- Crusting and ulceration of the mucous membranes and skin
- Seizures
As some of the clinical signs are like those seen in other diseases such as BVD, severe IBR and Bluetongue, it is important to discuss such cases with your PVP. MCF can be confirmed through laboratory testing at AFBI.
- The AFBI MCF PCR can be performed on the following sample types submitted through your PVP;
- Nasal swabs (charcoal, plain and swabs in VTM). PREFERABLE.
- Whole blood in an EDTA tube or heparin vacutainer.
The cost of MCF PCR is £20.00.
PVPs should select this test from the Virus Detection section of our farm animal submission form https://www.afbini.gov.uk/publications/farm-animals-diagnostic-submission-form
