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Title: A SEROLOGICAL SURVEY FOR ANTIBODIES TO MALIGNANT CATARRHAL FEVER ASSOCIATEDVIRUSES IN FREE LIVING AND CAPTIVE DEER IN GERMANY

Author
item FROLICH, K - INST FOR ZOO BIOLOGY &..
item Li, Hong
item MULLER-DOBLIES, U - UNIV OF ZURICH

Submitted to: Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/13/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A newly-developed competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the prevalence of antibody to malignant catarrhal fever virus (MCFV) in free-ranging and captive deer populations in Germany. A total of 486 serum samples collected from several species of deer were examined. Eleven (2%) of these samples were positive for antibodies against MCFV. Among 157 serum samples collected from 16 different species of captive deer, four (7%) of 54 fallow deer and one (7%) of 14 sika deer were antibody positive. Among 329 samples from three species of free-ranging deer, including 253 roe deer, 22 red deer and 54 fallow deer, only fallow deer were antibody-positive. Of the 25 fallow deer samples collected between 1990 and 1993, four (16%) were antibody positive. Among 29 free-ranging fallow deer samples collected in the hunting period 1996-97, antibodies to MCFV were detected in two (7%) of these sera. All of these fallow deer samples were collected from a circumscribed area in northern Germany and closely associated with domestic sheep. In the same area, a high prevalence (72%) of antibody to MCFV was observed in 50 domestic sheep. For the confirmation of the origin of the virus, peripheral blood leukocyte samples from 20 sheep and spleen and lymph node tissues from 15 fallow deer were examined for ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) by PCR. All samples from 20 sheep were OvHV-2 positive, but none of spleen and lymph node tissues from the 15 fallow deer, including the two antibody positive deer, were OvHV-2 positive.

Technical Abstract: A total of 486 serum samples collected from several species of both free-ranging and captive cervids in Germany were examined for antibodies against malignant catarrhal fever virus (MCFV) by a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Eleven (2%) of these samples were positive for antibodies against MCFV. Among 157 serum samples collected from 16 different species of captive deer including four (7%) of 54 fallow deer and one (7%) of 14 sika deer (Cervus nippon) were seropositive. Among 329 samples from three species of free-ranging deer, including 253 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 22 red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 54 fallow deer (Cervus dama), only fallow deer were antibody-positive. Of the 25 fallow deer samples collected between 1990 and 1993, four (16%) were seropositive. Among 29 free-ranging fallow deer samples collected in the hunting period 1996-97, antibodies to MCFV were detected in two (7%) of these sera. All of these fallow deer samples were collected from a circumscribed area in northern Germany. In the same area a high seroprevalence (72%) to MCFV was observed in domestic sheep (n=50). Among 20 sheep samples (buffy coat) and 15 fallow deer samples (spleen or lymph nodes) examined for ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) by PCR, all 20 examined sheep samples were OvHV-2 positive, but all of the 15 fallow deer samples, including the two seropositive deer, were OvHV-2 negative.