Abstract
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild small ruminants and thus has serious socioeconomic implications. In Pakistan, during the year 2012-2013, estimated losses due to PPR were worth Rs. 31.51 billions. Close contact between infected and susceptible animals is an important route of transmission of PPR. Therefore, carrier animals play an important role in unnoticed transmission of PPR. The objective of the study was to investigate the detection of PPR virus in goats recovered from PPR. A suspected PPR outbreak was investigated and confirmed as PPR after analysing appropriate samples collected from infected animals using rRT-PCR. A longitudinal study was conducted over the period of 16 weeks to ascertain the detection of PPR virus (PPRV) in faecal samples of recovered goats. Ninety-six (96) faecal samples from each sampling were collected at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after the outbreak. Faecal samples were analysed using rRT-PCR. Of 96 from each sampling a total of 46, 37, 29, and 25 samples were positive for PPR viral genome at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks, respectively, after recovery. Attempts were made for the isolation of PPR virus on Vero cells, but results were negative. These results indicated the detection of PPR viral RNA up to 16 weeks after infection. Therefore, these results may help in the future epidemiology of PPR virus shedding and possible role as source of silent infection for healthy animals especially when there is no history of any outbreak in nearby flock or area.
Highlights
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild small ruminants caused by PPR virus (PPRV) of family Paramyxoviridae [1]
We report a longitudinal study that has the objective to determine the duration of detection of PPR viral RNA in the faecal samples of animals recovered from PPR
A PPR outbreak causing high morbidity and low mortality in a goat herd in Punjab was confirmed on the basis of clinical signs and various lab diagnostic tests
Summary
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild small ruminants caused by PPR virus (PPRV) of family Paramyxoviridae [1]. The disease is associated with high morbidity (100%) and mortality (up to 90%) [2]. PPR is classified as transboundary animal disease (TAD) [3]. The typical form of PPR is associated with anorexia, pyrexia, ulceration, necrosis of mucous membranes, sores in mouth, mucopurulent nasal and ocular discharges, pneumonia, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and diarrhea [4,5,6]. Animals of all ages are susceptible to the disease. The disease is more fatal in kids and lambs. A close contact with infected animals is considered an important mean of transmission of disease [7]
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