title: The first report of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Iran.
abstract: In mid-July 2013, an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was observed in a herd of camels after they were imported from Kuwait to the Khuzestan province in southwest of Iran. The clinical signs of the affected animals included sudden death, fever, oral erosion, and ecthyma like lesions, yellowish diarrhea, pneumonia and respiratory distress, enlargement of lymph node, severe dehydration, dermatitis, ulcerative keratitis, and conjunctivitis. Necropsy findings included keratoconjunctivitis, congestion and consolidation of the lung, paleness of the liver, and enlargement and edema of lymph nodes. Histopathological exam revealed degeneration and acute hyperemia of the lungs, fatty change and necrotic foci in the liver, tubular necrosis in the kidneys, and necrotic dermatitis. We used immunocapture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to confirm peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) and differentiate it from rinderpest virus. Then virus genome was studied by molecular analysis for detecting of strain and substrain of the virus. Immunocapture ELISA of all specimens reacted positively against PPRV antigens. Also, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results in the lung and lymph nodes of the dead camels consolidated the cause of disease to be PPRV. The present study is the first report of the PPRV outbreak in camels in Iran.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zakian
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran. m.nouri@scu.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Houman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kahroba
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mohammadian
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mokhber-Dezfouli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002162:Camelus; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D029021:Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018107:Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral
keywords: Camel; IC ELISA; Iran; Khuzestan; PPRV; RT-PCR