Experimental infection of rabbits with ovine herpesvirus 2 from sheep nasal secretions

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a generally fatal disease that primarily occurs in ruminants and is caused by a group of gammaherpesviruses. Outside of Africa MCF is mainly caused by ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) which is carried subclinically by sheep. Cell-free virus is present in nasal secretions of shedding sheep and aerosol is the primary mode of transmission. Although OvHV-2 has never been propagated in vitro, experimental infection involving intranasal nebulization with nasal secretions from shedding sheep has been used to induce MCF in cattle and bison. This method of inoculation has never been tested in rabbits, which are the primary small animal model. The objectives of this study were to determine whether rabbits become infected with OvHV-2 after intranasal nebulization with cell-free virus from sheep nasal secretions and whether they develop MCF with consistent gross and histologic lesions. Five of eight rabbits became infected, showed clinical signs and developed histologic lesions typical of MCF including multisystemic vasculitis and perivascular lymphoid accumulation. These lesions are similar to those reported in rabbits infected by intravenous injection with tissues from clinically affected animals containing cell-associated virus. Viral DNA and mRNA transcripts of a structural viral protein were present in tissues from affected rabbits suggesting that viral replication occurred, although the significance in terms of pathogenesis is unknown. This work demonstrates that OvHV-2 infection of rabbits by intranasal nebulization is a potentially useful model that mimics the natural route of infection and may be used to study viral replication and pathogenesis.