Study on the Prevalence of Peste Des Petits Virus Antibodies in Caprine and Ovine Through the Contrast of Serological Assessments in Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

Peste-des-petits-ruminants (PPR) is a notifiable, contagious and economically important transboundary viral disease of small ruminant causing high morbidity and mortality. It belongs to negative-sense, single-stranded RNA paramyxovirus of genus Morbillivirus. PPR occurs in populations of immunologically naive sheep and goats, illness and death can be high as >90%. It results in a high rate of morbidity and a moderate rate of mortality. After the eradication of the rinderpest virus, which is closely relate to PPRV of small ruminants contaminated with SRMV are diagnosed having pyrexia, oculo-nasal discharges, necrotizing and erosive stomatitis, gastroenteritis, diarrhea and broncho pneumonia, whereas, gross pathology, histological findings along with laboratory confirmation of specific virus antigen, antibodies, genome in the clinical samples through a variety of serological and molecular diagnostic tests can be useful. The goal of this study was to use competitive-ELISA to determine the prevalence of PPR in small ruminants in Sindh province. A total of n=5700 blood samples were taken from sheep (800) and goats (4900) in 06 Sindh districts. In the small ruminant population, the overall prevalence was found to be 27.84%. Goats were found to have a higher prevalence (28.29%) than sheep (25.13%). Prevalence in goats varied by age category, with 27.84%, 24.88%, and 34.29% in three age groups, i.e less than 1 years, 1-2 years, and more than 2 years and in sheep’s 18.75%, 23.95%, and 36.11% respectively. Females had a greater prevalence rate than males. The prevalence of PPR varies across the province's several agro-ecological zones. Tharparkar district had the greatest% age (35.38%), while Hyderabad district had the lowest (18.27%). Because PPR is endemic in Sindh, there is a pressing need for infection prevention through vaccination. PPR can be controlled through mass vaccination program. In the future, the preparation of a marker vaccine with a robust companion test may assist in serosurveillance for the detection of infection in vaccinated animals to control the disease.