Transmission of wildebeest-associated and sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever to hamsters, rats and guinea-pigs

Abstract Wildebeest-derived malignant catarrhal fever (WD-MCF) was transmitted to hamsters, rats and guinea-pigs by inoculation of rabbit lymphoid cells infected with alcelaphine herpesvirus-1, strain C-500. Sheep-associated MCF (SA-MCF) was transmitted to hamsters by inoculation of lymphoid cells from rabbits affected with SA-MCF derived from deer. Mice were refractory to both forms of the disease. With both forms of MCF, the incubation period during initial transmission varied from 21 to 90 days and disease was readily passaged in rodents by inoculation of live lymphoid cells. Clinical signs in hamsters most closely resembled those described for naturally occurring MCF. Results given here and in two following papers indicate that rodents are useful models to study the aetiology and pathogenesis of both forms of MCF.