Malignant catarrhal fever in cattle in Spain

Abstract

We report a case of malignant catarrhal fever in cattle in a mixed herd (ovine/bovine). The case occurred in the Basque Country (north of Spain) in April 2021. The infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction in a calf that had developed signs consistent with the ‘head and eye’ form of the disease. Just before its appearance, a group of five calves born at the farm (including the affected one), aged between 8 and 12 months, were temporarily housed in a pen adjacent to the sheep shed, and separated by a metallic fence that allowed direct contact. In Spain, there are no data on the incidence of malignant catarrhal fever, as there is no active surveillance programme in place. Furthermore, the disease is uncommonly considered in differential diagnoses