Review on Pest Des Petits Ruminants Virus and its Socioeconomic Impact in Small Ruminants

Abstract

Peste Des Petits Ruminants (PPR) are a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects sheep and goats. It belongs to the genus Morbillivirus in the family Paramyxoviridae. Today, this disease is considered a cause of mortality and morbidity in many countries of the world. The disease occurs south of the Sahara Desert and north of the equator in Africa, most of the Middle East, and parts of Asia, including the Indian subcontinent. It is transmitted by aerosols during close contact between animals, mainly through sneezing and coughing. The disease is characterized by high fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, pneumonia, necrosis and gastrointestinal tract leading to foul smelling diarrhoea. Diagnosis can be made based on clinical, pathological and epizootological findings. This has significant economic implications for food security and livelihoods. Therefore, PPR is considered one of the most damaging animal diseases in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and is also one of the priority diseases listed in the FAO-OIE Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Trans boundary Animal Diseases. Peste des Petits ruminants are common in Ethiopia due to economic losses due to reduced production, death, abortion and cost of disease control. There is no specific treatment for PPR. However, drugs that control bacterial and parasitic complications may reduce mortality. For surveillance purposes, circular vaccination and/or vaccination of high-risk populations may also be useful. Therefore, eradication of PPR is done through a combination of quarantine, movement control, cleaning and disinfection of infected areas and vaccination.