Diagnostic exercise: generalized alopecia and mural folliculitis in a goat

An 18-month-old cross-bred goat was presented with generalized erythema and thinning of the hair coat, as well as localized moderate scaling. Histopathological evaluation of skin biopsies showed hyperplasia and marked disruption of the infundibular epithelium owing to a predominant infiltrate of macrophages with multinucleated histiocytic giant cells and some lymphocytes, plasma cells, and eosinophils. Examination of peripheral blood and skin by polymerase chain reaction gave positive results for ovine herpesvirus type 2 consistent with a diagnosis of malignant catarrhal fever.