obsolete peste des petits ruminants infectious disease

Peste Des Petits Ruminants (PPR): An Obsolete Infectious Disease

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious and infectious viral disease that primarily affects small ruminants, such as sheep and goats. However, with the advancement of veterinary medicine and the implementation of effective control measures, PPR has become an obsolete disease in many parts of the world.

Characteristics of PPR

• Highly contagious: PPR is a highly contagious viral disease that can spread quickly among small ruminants.
• Acute viral disease: PPR is an acute viral disease characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates, especially in young animals.
• Transmission: The virus is transmitted through contact with infected animals, contaminated food and water, and fomites.

Impact of PPR

• Economic impact: PPR has significant economic implications for small-scale farmers and the livestock industry as a whole.
• Livestock trade: The disease can also affect the livestock trade, leading to losses in revenue and livelihoods.

Control and Eradication Efforts

• Vaccination: Vaccination is an effective control measure against PPR, and many countries have implemented vaccination programs to prevent outbreaks.
• Biosecurity measures: Implementing biosecurity measures, such as proper hygiene and sanitation practices, can also help prevent the spread of the disease.

Current Status of PPR

• Targeted for eradication: The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has targeted PPR for eradication by 2030.
• Reduced incidence: With the implementation of effective control measures, the incidence of PPR has significantly reduced in many parts of the world.

References:

• [2] First described in 1942
• [6] Highly contagious and acute viral disease
• [19] Can spread quickly among small ruminants
• [5] Targeted for eradication by 2030

Note: The numbers in square brackets refer to the context provided, which are search results containing a brief description of the content of that page.

Clinical Manifestations of PPR

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) was a severe viral disease that primarily affected the respiratory and digestive systems of domestic and wild small ruminants. The common clinical manifestations of PPR in sheep and goats were:

• Pyrexia (high fever)
• Oculo-nasal discharges
• Erosive stomatitis (involving the lips, tongue, and oral mucosa) [1]
• Respiratory distress
• Anorexia (loss of appetite)
• Diarrhea
• Severe dehydration and acidosis in some cases [6]

In severe outbreaks, PPR could be easily confused with other diseases that presented similar clinical signs, such as Bluetongue (BT), Contagious ecthyma (Orf), Foot and mouth disease (FMD), Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), Pasteurellosis, etc. [11][13]

Peracute Form of PPR

In the peracute form, PPR presented with general signs of major infections, such as high fever, and was mostly observed in naïve young animals. The course of the disease was shorter and more severe in this form [9].

Diagnostic Challenges

Diagnosis of PPR was challenging due to its similarity with other diseases. Awareness of the clinical signs of PPR was essential for rapid diagnosis and early warning. A multi-disease diagnostic test would also be needed during the final stages of the eradication programme when all PPR-like disease symptoms would have to be differentiated [7].

Prevention and Control

The disease had no cure, and prevention was best achieved by vaccinating animals before they got infected. Toward peste des petits virus (PPRV) eradication, diagnostic approaches, novel vaccines, and control strategies were being developed [14].

Based on the available information, it appears that diagnostic tests for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) are still relevant despite being considered an "obsolete" infectious disease.

• Virus Neutralization Test (VNT): This test can be used to specifically diagnose PPR, as mentioned in [5]. VNT is a laboratory-based test that measures the ability of antibodies to neutralize the virus.
• c-ELISA and Immunocapture ELISA: These tests are also specific for diagnosing PPR, as stated in [5]. c-ELISA and Immunocapture ELISA are types of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) that can detect antibodies against the PPR virus.
• Histopathology: This test involves examining tissue samples under a microscope to diagnose PPR. Histopathology is mentioned as one of the diagnostic tests performed for PPR at NVSL FADDL2 in [14].
• PCR and RT-PCR: These molecular biology techniques can be used to detect the presence of the PPR virus. PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) are mentioned as diagnostic tests for PPR in [10] and [15], respectively.

It's worth noting that while PPR may be considered an "obsolete" disease, it is still present in some parts of the world and can have significant economic impacts on small ruminant farming. Therefore, accurate diagnosis using these tests remains important for controlling and eradicating the disease.

References: [5] - Specific diagnosis of PPR can be made by virus neutralization test (VNT), c-ELISA and immunocapture ELISA. [10] - Recent developments in the diagnosis of PPR, prospects for improved diagnosis and vaccine development for disease control have been reviewed earlier. [14] - Diagnostic Tests Performed for PPR at NVSL FADDL2 [15] - This test can diagnose PPR in the first four days PI.

Based on the available information, it appears that there is no specific treatment for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a viral disease affecting small ruminants.

• According to search result [2], PPR is caused by a virus and there is no specific treatment for it. The focus should be on prevention, particularly vaccination.
• Search result [3] also states that since PPR is a viral disease, there is no specific treatment for this disease.
• Search result [5] mentions that there is no specific treatment for PPR; however, treatment for bacterial and parasitic complications decreases mortality rates in affected flocks or herds.
• Similarly, search result [6] states that there is no specific treatment for PPR. However, drugs that control bacterial and parasitic complications, as well as supportive care, may decrease mortality.

It's worth noting that some search results mention the use of antibiotics and other supportive therapies to treat secondary bacterial infections (search results [7] and [8]), but these are not specific treatments for PPR itself.

In recent years, there have been some studies on potential therapeutic agents for PPR, such as favipiravir (search result [9]). However, more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of these treatments.

Overall, it seems that the primary approach to managing PPR is through prevention and control measures, rather than specific drug treatment.

Differential Diagnosis of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR)

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious and economically important viral disease of small ruminants, targeted for global eradication by the year 2030. However, its differential diagnosis can be challenging due to similar clinical signs with other diseases.

Diseases that may require differential diagnosis with PPR:

• Rinderpest (RP): A viral disease that affects cattle and small ruminants, causing fever, cough, and diarrhea.
• Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD): A viral disease that affects cattle, causing fever, diarrhea, and respiratory problems.
• Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE): A viral disease that affects goats, causing arthritis, encephalitis, and other systemic problems.
• Maedi-Visna (MV): A viral disease that affects sheep and goats, causing pneumonia, arthritis, and other systemic problems.

Clinical signs that may be similar to PPR:

• Fever
• Coughing
• Diarrhea
• Respiratory problems
• Crusting scabs along the lips (in PPR)
• Development of pneumonia in later stages of disease (in PPR)

Diagnostic methods for differential diagnosis with PPR:

• Virus isolation and identification
• Agar gel immunodiffusion
• ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay)
• Immunocapture
• Virus neutralization test (VNT)

According to [1], a presumptive diagnosis of PPR is based on clinical, pathologic, and epidemiologic findings. However, this diagnosis is considered provisional until laboratory confirmation is made for differential diagnosis with other diseases with similar signs.

In addition, [2] states that the lesions observed in cattle affected with rinderpest are very similar to those observed in small ruminants affected with PPR, except that prominent crusting scabs along the lips and development of pneumonia in later stages of disease are characteristic of PPR.

References:

[1] Context 3 [2] Context 4