Pestes de Petits ruminant (PPR)

• Also known as goat plague
• Contagious disease of goat and sheep.
• Goats are more susceptible than sheep.

a) Etiology:

• Morbili virus ( Paramyxovirisae family)

b) Transmission:

• Close proximity is necessary as virus doesn’t survive long outside the host.
• Virus excreted by urine, Faeces, nasal discharges and sweat.
• Transmission occurs by

a) Inhalation of infected droplets

b) Ingestion of contaminated feed

c) Pathogenesis:

• Entry of virus via ingestion or inhalation à Localizes on upper respiratory tract à Multiply in epithelial cells of URT à Enter to blood leading to viremia à from blood, localizes in target organ à Virus multiplies and develop clinical signs in 3-9 days

d) Symptoms:

• Incubation : 3-10 days
• High fever ( > 104⁰F)
• Occulonasal discharge ( inflamed eye membrane)
• Necrotic stomatitis ( tongue and pharynx)
• Respiratory distress
• Diarrhoea
• Leukopenia but not as marked as in rinderpest
• Early mouth lesions showing areas of dead cells.

e) Diagnosis:

• Clinical signs and lesions
• Isolation/ identification of virus
• ELISA test

f) Differential diagnosis:

• Rinderpest
• FMD
• Blue tongue disease
• Coccidiosis

g) Prevention and treatment:

• Quarantine
• Disinfect the surrounding
• Vaccination
• Slaughter the infected animal
• Carcass burned or bury the animal