Abstract
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is caused by a Morbillivirus that belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae. PPR is an acute, highly contagious and fatal disease primarily affecting goats and sheep, whereas cattle undergo sub-clinical infection. With morbidity and mortality rates that can be as high as 90%, PPR is classified as an OIE (Office International des Epizooties)-listed disease. Considering the importance of sheep and goats in the livelihood of the poor and marginal farmers in Africa and South Asia, PPR is an important concern for food security and poverty alleviation. PPR virus (PPRV) and rinderpest virus (RPV) are closely related Morbilliviruses. Rinderpest has been globally eradicated by mass vaccination. Though a live attenuated vaccine is available against PPR for immunoprophylaxis, due to its instability in subtropical climate (thermo-sensitivity), unavailability of required doses and insufficient coverage (herd immunity), the disease control program has not been a great success. Further, emerging evidence of poor cross neutralization between vaccine strain and PPRV strains currently circulating in the field has raised concerns about the protective efficacy of the existing PPR vaccines. This review summarizes the recent advancement in PPRV replication, its pathogenesis, immune response to vaccine and disease control. Attempts have also been made to highlight the current trends in understanding the host susceptibility and resistance to PPR.
Highlights
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a rinderpest-like disease of goats and sheep having many common names, such as ovine rinderpest, goat plague, plague of small ruminants or Kata
As maternal antibodies can interfere with vaccination, kids born from PPR virus (PPRV) exposed or immunized goats must be immunized after 3–4 months [151,154]
Our study suggests that some of the field PPRV strains may not cross-neutralized with antibodies against the vaccine strain and has raised concerns about the protective efficacy of the PPRV vaccine against heterologous strains [77]
Summary
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a rinderpest-like disease of goats and sheep having many common names, such as ovine rinderpest, goat plague, plague of small ruminants or Kata. The disease was first described in 1942 by Gargadennec and Lalanne in the Ivory Coast, West Africa [1]. They identified the disease that was similar to but different from rinderpest in small ruminants which was not transmissible to cattle. Cattle can be infected with PPRV but is unable to transmit the disease to another host, though a sero-conversion against the PPRV H protein has been observed [9]. Infection of cattle with PPRV interferes with immune response against RPV [11]. PPR usually occurs year round though an association with season has been observed [12]. For differential diagnosis, confirmation must be performed by laboratory tests
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