Prevalence of Peste-des-petits-ruminant virus antibodies in cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats in India

Abstract

The present study describes the prevalence of Peste-des-petits-ruminant virus (PPRV) antibodies in cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats carried out during the period 2011 using the serum samples randomly collected from different villages of five states of India. A total of 1,498 serum samples [n = 605 (cattle); n = 432 (buffaloes); n = 173 (sheep); n = 288 (goats)] were collected from 52 districts in five states (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Rajasthan) of India and were screened for PPRV-specific antibodies by using PPR monoclonal antibody-based competitive ELISA kit. Analysis of 1,498 samples indicates that an overall seroprevalence of 21.83 % with 11.07 % in cattle, 16.20 % in buffaloes, 45.66 % in sheep and 38.54 % in goats. This report presents the results of PPRV-specific antibodies in situations where the subclinical, inapparent or nonlethal or recovery of infection was suspected in cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats. The presence of PPRV antibodies demonstrate that bovines are exposed to PPRV infection and it implies the importance of cattle and buffaloes as subclinical hosts for the virus besides widespread presence of the disease in sheep and goats. Further, the study showed that the prevalence of PPRV antibodies in apparently healthy livestock under natural situation, 21.83 % of the animals were protected from PPRV re-infection. This inturn help in the implementation of disease control strategies such as vaccination in that particular geographical area.

Molecular characterization of Peste des petits ruminants viruses in the Marmara Region of Turkey

“…In comparison to PPR virus circulation in cattle in other endemic countries i.e. Pakistan (10%; Abubakar et al., ) and India (11%; Balamurugan et al., ) it is reassuring that the Marmara region of Turkey is not yet intensely endemic for PPR. The occasional outbreaks of PPR in the Thrace region could be due to the movement of infected sheep and goats from other endemic regions of Turkey.…”

Impact and Epidemiological Investigations into the Incursion and Spread of Peste des Petits Ruminants in the Comoros Archipelago: An Increased Threat to Surrounding Islands

“…In Tanzania, mass PPR vaccination of sheep and goats was initiated early 2011 but did not include cattle. However, high rate of PPR seropositivity found in several studies (Abraham et al., ; Lembo et al., ; Balamurugan et al., ) confirm that cattle living in close proximity to small ruminants are likely to be infected frequently. Although subclinical cattle seroconversion and alternative host infections (lions and camels) (Balamurugan et al., ; El Arbi et al., ) have been observed in several occasions, the epidemiological role of these species for the disease is not yet established.…”

“…Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious and devastating viral disease affecting mainly sheep and goats but which can infect a wide range of other domestic and non‐domestic species such as goitered gazelles in Turkey (Gür and Albayrak, ), buffaloes in India (Govindarajan et al., ; Balamurugan et al., ) and camels in Sudan and Ethiopia where specific clinical signs such as respiratory syndromes have been described (Abraham et al., ; Banyard et al., ; Khalafalla et al., ; Kwiatek et al., ). Firstly identified in Ivory Coast in 1940, the disease is now widely distributed across much of sub‐Saharan Africa, Middle East and Asia including major parts of the Indian subcontinent progressing southward and northward to Africa affecting Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Tanzania (Gargadennec and Lalanne, ; Swai et al., ).…”

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“…As most of these animals were not vaccinated earlier, the detection of PPRV antibody could have been only resulted from infection with PPRV since the virus is endemic in the Southern part of India (Balamurugan et al, 2014a) including Karnataka.…”