Clinical symptoms in goats with malignant catarrhal fever-like lesions.

摘要

Three goats with history of central nervous disorders are reported. The two goats had increased body temperature, ataxia and somnolence. One animal had head tremors and later developed diarrhoea and cloudy cornea, while the other goat showed compulsive movements and incoordination with tonic-clonic spasm. Laboratory tests revealed that the animals had anaemia, hypoproteinaemia, increased liver enzyme activities, partly azotaemia and lymphopaenia and pleocytosis in liquor. The animals died at 22 and 23 days after the onset of clinical signs, respectively. Postmortem examination was performed on the euthanized third goat. It was observed that the animal had enlarged lymph nodes, spleen and liver. Histopathological lesions revealed lymphohistiocytic and fibrinoid vasculitis in several organs, including kidney, spleen, lung, brain and liver. The animal was diagnosed with ovine herpesvirus type 2 infection. It is concluded that ovine herpesvirus type 2 can induce clinical neurological diseases in goats.