From the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries:
Montgomery, AL – The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) cooperating with the USDA Reference Lab in Iowa has confirmed that Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) also known as ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHv-2) caused a recent die-off at a licensed deer-breeding facility in North Alabama. MCF is a potentially fatal viral disease of cloven-hoofed (even-hoofed) animals such as cattle, deer, and pigs.
Since the outbreak began in May, the die-off was contained to the breeding facility, and now that the cause of death has been determined, all preventative measures to stop the virus from spreading to the remainder of the whitetail herd have been taken.
Domesticated sheep who were not symptomatic, housed in a pen adjacent to the deer, initially had the virus that spread to the deer. Herpes viruses are widely distributed in nature, and long-lived infections can occur in multiple animal species. The herpes virus associated with sheep is called ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2). OvHV-2 is the predominant cause of MCF outside of Africa and is a cause of disease in domesticated animals and whitetail deer in the United States. Often domestic sheep are infected with the OvHV-2 virus; however, these sheep are usually clinically normal.
MCF poses no threat to humans, pets or any other domesticated livestock and these affected deer will not transmit this virus to other deer or livestock. According to State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier, “This isolated incident reminds producers how important it is to have strict bio-security measures in place. Diseases like MCF that are asymptomatic in domestic animals can be devastating to native wild animals.”
Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan said, “This case shows how critical the working relationship is between our agency and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The cause of the die-off was concluded, and both agencies assisted the facility owner with the determining the best course of action.”
The facility passed a routine herd inspection earlier this year as part of a joint monitoring program between the DCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) and the ADAI.
“Artificial conditions such as the penning of multiple species together like wild sheep and deer can spread pathogens that are normally restricted to one species,” said Kevin Dodd, WFF Chief of Enforcement.