Detection of Peste des Petits Ruminants Viral RNA in Fecal Samples of Goats after an Outbreak in Punjab Province of Pakistan: A Longitudinal Study.
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild small ruminants and thus has serious socioeconomic implications. In Pakistan, during the year 2012-2013, estimated losses due to PPR were worth Rs. 31.51 billions. Close contact between infected and susceptible animals is an important route of transmission of PPR. Therefore, carrier animals play an important role in unnoticed transmission of PPR. The objective of the study was to investigate the detection of PPR virus in goats recovered from PPR. A suspected PPR outbreak was investigated and confirmed as PPR after analysing appropriate samples collected from infected animals using rRT-PCR. A longitudinal study was conducted over the period of 16 weeks to ascertain the detection of PPR virus (PPRV) in faecal samples of recovered goats. Ninety-six (96) faecal samples from each sampling were collected at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after the outbreak. Faecal samples were analysed using rRT-PCR. Of 96 from each sampling a total of 46, 37, 29, and 25 samples were positive for PPR viral genome at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks, respectively, after recovery. Attempts were made for the isolation of PPR virus on Vero cells, but results were negative. These results indicated the detection of PPR viral RNA up to 16 weeks after infection. Therefore, these results may help in the future epidemiology of PPR virus shedding and possible role as source of silent infection for healthy animals especially when there is no history of any outbreak in nearby flock or area.
Veterinary Research Institute, Zarar Shaheed Road, Lahore Cantt 54810, Pakistan; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
Riasat
0000-0001-5016-8969
R
Wasee Ullah
Animal Health Research Laboratories, Animal Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
Aamer
A
Bin Zahur
Animal Health Research Laboratories, Animal Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
Asma
A
Latif
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
Javid
J
Iqbal Dasti
Animal Health Research Laboratories, Animal Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
Hamid
H
Irshad
Progressive Control of PPR in Pakistan, FAO-UN, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
Muhammad
M
Afzal
Animal Health Research Laboratories, Animal Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
Tahir
T
Rasheed
Department of Animal Husbandry, Azad Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, Muzzafarabad 13100, Pakistan.
Adnan
A
Rashid Malik
Veterinary Research Institute, Zarar Shaheed Road, Lahore Cantt 54810, Pakistan.
Zafar-Ul-Ahsan
ZU
Qureshi
D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006041:Goats / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D029021:Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D018107:Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods