Abstract
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a disease caused by small ruminant morbillivirus (SRM), is highly contagious with high morbidity and mortality. Controlling PPR requires a proper understanding of the epidemiological dynamics and impact of the disease in a range of geographical areas and management systems. Karenga district, located in the pastoral region of Karamoja in northeastern Uganda, and in the vicinity of Kidepo Valley National Park, is characterised by free cross-border (South Sudan and Kenya) livestock trade, communal grazing, and transhumance. This study was conducted from November through December 2020 to determine the seroprevalence of anti-SRM antibodies, the risk factors associated with the occurrence, and the socio-economic impact of PPR in Karenga. A total of 22 kraals were randomly selected from all administrative units, and 684 small ruminants (sheep = 115, goats = 569) were selected for serum collection using systematic random sampling. Exposure to SRM was determined using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The overall true seroprevalence of SRM antibodies was high, 51.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 45–52.6). Multivariate logistic regression for risk factors showed that seroprevalence varied significantly by location (26.8% to 87.8%, odds ratio (OR) ≤ 14.5). The odds of exposure to SRM were higher in sheep (73.9%) than in goats (43.8%) (OR = 1.7, p = 0.08), and seropositivity was higher in animals greater than two years old (65.5%; OR = 11.1, p < 0.001), or those one to two years old (24.7%; OR = 1.6, p = 0.2), compared to small ruminants less than one year old (16.1%). Using participatory epidemiology approaches (semi-structured interviews, clinical examinations, pairwise ranking, proportional piling, impact matrix scoring) with 15 key informants and 22 focus groups of pastoralists, PPR was the second most important small ruminant disease: relative morbidity 14%, relative mortality 9%, and case fatality rate 78%, and impacted productivity mainly in terms of treatment costs, mortality, marketability, and conflicts. These findings provide evidence to support the implementation of disease surveillance and control strategies to mitigate the impact of PPR in Karamoja and other pastoral areas in eastern Africa.
Highlights
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), known as goat plague or pseudo rinderpest, is a highly contagious transboundary disease of mostly small ruminants, caused by small ruminant morbillivirus (SRM) in the family Paramyxoviridae
A total of 569 goats and 115 sheep were sampled from seven administrative units in Karenga district, Uganda
The goats and sheep were of the indigenous Small East African breed and the Black-headed Persian breed, respectively
Summary
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), known as goat plague or pseudo rinderpest, is a highly contagious transboundary disease of mostly small ruminants, caused by small ruminant morbillivirus (SRM) in the family Paramyxoviridae. A significant association of PPR with pastoral production has been reported, and this can be attributed to movements for trade and grazing that may increase the contact of susceptible animals with infected animals [2]. The effects of PPR directly impact the livelihoods of the pastoral communities by threatening food security, retarding current efforts towards sustainable development, and draining the already-limited veterinary resources [3,4]. Few studies have examined the social and economic consequences of PPR in pastoral areas [5,6,7,8] and there is scanty information about the impact in the Karamoja region, Uganda
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
