Epidemiological investigation of the peste des petits ruminant's outbreaks in Karnataka, India.

Abstract

The present study reports the epidemiological and virological investigations of the twelve different outbreaks of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in goats and sheep flocks with considerable morbidity and mortality recorded from different places of Karnataka state in India during 2014-2015. Clinical samples were collected from the affected flocks or villages for laboratory investigation along with epidemiological parameters. The PPR virus (PPRV) antigen and its genome were detected in the infected tissues or swab materials by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (s-ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The significant epidemiological parameters recorded include young animals being severely affected than adult animals, which showed symptoms suggestive of PPR and changing pattern of disease in term of severity of gross lesions and clinical signs. The source of infection was traced back to introduction of new animals from other flocks or from other states. Despite regular vaccination of sheep and goats in the state, under National Control Programme on PPR (NCP-PPR), outbreaks need to be carefully monitored due mainly to production losses in small ruminants.