Abstract
Describe the implementation and use of rabbits as a laboratory model for sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF) research using cell-free ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2). Key considerations regarding the use of the model to generate consistent experimental data are presented and discussed in detail. A major drawback to SA-MCF research is that OvHV-2 cannot be propagated in cell culture and experimental studies rely only on animals. An important research milestone was the finding that infectious cell-free OvHV-2 from nasal secretions of shedding sheep can be used to experimentally induce SA-MCF in various host species. Using this approach, we have demonstrated that rabbits can be infected with OvHV-2 and that infection parameters, such as dose-dependence, and clinical and pathological manifestations, resemble those in natural hosts. Rabbits are a reliable model for SA-MCF and represent an important resource for experimental research. The model is especially useful to investigate virus-host interactions and to evaluate MCF vaccine strategies.
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