title: Detection ofPeste des petits ruminantsvirus and goatpox virus from an outbreak in goats with high mortality in Meghalaya state, India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We describe a laboratory investigation carried out to confirm the etiology of the heavy mortality (37 animals died out of total 44, i.e. 84%) in goats in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya, Northeast region of India in December 2015. The clinical signs observed were abortion, diarrhea, high fever (up to 104°F), pox lesion in the skin, and respiratory distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  The samples comprising whole blood, sera, and pox lesion were collected from the animals (n=7) from an outbreak for the screening ofpeste des petits ruminants(PPR) and poxviruses. The whole blood and sera were used for screening of PPR virus (PPRV) by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and antibody by competitive ELISA as well as detection of PPRV partial N gene by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The skin lesions were used for the detection of poxvirus by PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed the presence of PPR antigens (58-80%) in the samples by sandwich ELISA and antibody in all the sera samples ranging from 9% to 41% positivity in competitive ELISA. Four samples were positive for PPRV partial N gene. The skin lesion screened for poxvirus was also found to be positive for I3L gene of goatpox virus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We confirm the outbreak of disease in goats with high mortality is a case of mixed infection of PPR and goatpox detected for the first time in Northeast India.
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health, Indian Council of Agricultural Research - North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam - 793 013, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health, Indian Council of Agricultural Research - North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam - 793 013, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bhattacharjee
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health, Indian Council of Agricultural Research - North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam - 793 013, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Puro
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health, Indian Council of Agricultural Research - North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam - 793 013, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shakuntala
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health, Indian Council of Agricultural Research - North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam - 793 013, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanjukta
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health, Indian Council of Agricultural Research - North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam - 793 013, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health, Indian Council of Agricultural Research - North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam - 793 013, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghatak
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health, Indian Council of Agricultural Research - North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam - 793 013, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sen
keywords: Capripoxvirus; Peste des petits ruminants; disease; goat; mortality