Allerton-type Herpes Virus as a Cause of Lesions of the 'Alimentary Tract in a Severe Disease of Tanzanian Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer

Abstract

A severe outbreak of disease occurred in buffaloes in a part of the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania,in December, 1969, at the end of a prolonged and severe drought. There was a high mortality, particularly affecting animals up to about one year of age, and accompanied by heavy infestations with external and internal parasites. The clinical and post-mortem findings were described, the latter including erosions and ulcers of the mucosae of the upper alimentary tract. One animal had lesions of the tongue which were histologically typical of Allerton-type herpes virus infection. This agent was isolated from a tongue lesion and prescapular lymph node tissue, while neutral using antibody against it was found in 11 of the 13 buffalo sera damined.It was not considered that the Allerton-type virus was a primary cause of the morbidity or mortality, since serological evidence indicated that the infection was universal in East African buffalo populations, without evidence of overt pathogenicity elsewhere.