PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODY TO MALIGNANT CATARRHAL FEVER VIRUS IN WILD ANDDOMESTIC RUMINANTS BY COMPETITIVE-INHIBITION ELISA

A competitive-inhibition ELISA (CI-ELISA), based on a monoclonal antib ody to an epitope conserved among malignant catarrhal fever virus (MCF V) strains of both wildebeest and sheep origin, was used to determine the prevalence of antibody to MCFV in selected domestic and wild rumin ants, both free-ranging and captive, from the USA. We evaluated 2528 s era from 14 species between 1990 and 1995, including 80 pronghorn ante lope (Antilocapra americana), 339 bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), 103 bison (Bison bison), 17 black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columb ianus), 395 domestic cattle (Bos taurus), 291 domestic goats (Capra hi rcus), 680 domestic sheep (Ovis ammon), 323 elk (Cervus elaphus), 41 l lamas (Lama glama), 21 mouflon sheep (Ovis musimon), 54 mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), 101 mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), 20 muskox (Ovibos moschatus), and 63 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) . A high seroprevalence (37 to 62%) was observed in domestic sheep, do mestic goats, muskox, and some bighorn sheep populations. Seroprevalen ce in these species was generally age-related: a very low seroprevalen ce was present in these animals under one year of age. A low seropreva lence (2% to 13%) was found in clinically-susceptible species such as domestic cattle, deer, elk and bison, supporting the concept that sign ificant numbers of non-lethal infections occur among clinically suscep tible ruminants.