PPR in Goats

Peste des Petits Ruminants

Technical Review by

Goatgyan Consultancy Services

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a morbillivirus infection that

causes serious losses in sheep and goats throughout its range

The major clinical signs of stomatitis, enteritis, and pneumonia

During early stages of the disease, the lips are edematous and

brown scabs cover eroded and ulcerated epithelium.

Goats that survive the acute phase of the disease may develop labial

scabs that

persist up to fourteen days;

Goats that are vaccinated with inactivated vaccine or that are re-

exposed to PPR after recovery from the virus also develop labial

scabs that heal in about ten days

General overview

When diarrhea and fever precede

neurologic signs, peste des petits

ruminants, rinderpest, and

salmonellosis should be ruled out.

General overview

Stomatitis pneumoenteritis complex

Etiologic agent is a paramyxovirus of the Morbillivirus genus that is

not pathogenic for cattle.

The closely related rinderpest virus of cattle causes similar signs in

goats.

Two viruses seriously limit goat production in India

The virus is shed in secretions to infect other animals by direct

contact.

It can persist in the environment for as long as thirty-six hours, and

thus holding pens can be a source of infection.

Cause of PPR

How PPR looks like – Clinical signs

Fever (104°C - 106°C) persisting five to seven days

Profuse, even bloody diarrhea.

Necrotic stomatitis, foaming at the mouth,

Ocular discharge

Pregnant animals may abort

Respiratory signs occur during the acute stages (include malodorous,

mucopurulent nasal discharge) with increased respiratory rate,

Frequent sneezing, extended head with mouth breathing.

Secondary bronchopneumonia (often cause of death)

Fever

Diarrhea

Respiratory

Signs

PPR Triad

Recovered animals shows anemia

Severe leukopenia persists for ten days in animals that

recover

Highest incidence of disease occurs during the rainy season

Goats most commonly affected are six to twelve months of

age

Kids younger than three months of age usually have colostral

immunity.

PPR incidences

Diagnosis of PPR

Identification of signs and symptoms

Fluorescent antibody testing (nasal discharges and intestinal scrapings)

Hemagglutination test with piglet blood

Test permits differentiation of peste des petits ruminants from simple

bacterial pneumonia in live goats

Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test can be used to

identify the virus in oculonasal swabs, oral lesions, or blood

Serological testing using a competitive ELISA also permits monitoring of

the infection (available in IVRI)

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Necropsy findings of PPR

consolidation of cranioventral lung lobes

Histologic lesions reported in the lung include a giant cell pneumonia

Eeosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions in epithelial cells in perhaps half of the

goats dying

because of peste des petits ruminants.

Less commonly there is necrosis of the tracheal epithelium. Diagnosis is complicated

by secondary Pasteurella, Mannheimia, or Mycoplasma pneumonia.

Vaccination against this disease in endemic areas is both feasible and

economically sound

Hyperimmune serum (5 ml intravenously) reverses the signs of peste des petits

ruminants if given during the febrile stage of the disease, when the temperature

is 104.9°F (40.5°C) or higher.

Reinfection or relapse occurs after ten days and even those goats that develop

labial scabs and appear to recover are susceptibleto later challenge

Prevention of PPR

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