Goat and sheep plague also known as Pete des Petits Ruminants(PPR) is a very contagious animal disease that affects domestic and wild small ruminants. It is caused by a virus that belongs to the genus Morbillivirus, and the family, Paramixoviridae
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) considers PPRV to be a major constraint to the development of global small ruminant production, and this is because sheep and, goats are highly essential for food security, feeding millions of people around the world, especially in Africa.
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These small ruminants are the primary livestock resources of several poor rural families around the world, this includes subsistence farmers. These households have these animals as their regular income source, a means to help capitalize on savings, and a net for safety during difficult moments.
The sale of these animals or products that come from them produces high income for households and nations. The presence of this disease can limit export and trade, and the turnover rate of small ruminants is faster than other larger livestock, this calls for a more intense and frequent use of vaccination.
The occurrence of PPR creates an annual economic loss of up to 2.1 billion, putting 300 million families at risk of losing their means of livelihood, security, and employment opportunities. Small ruminants and their offered products are commodities traded internationally, especially in Africa and the Middle East.
An outbreak is usually an emergency as a result of its rapid spread and high rate of mortality. Fatal diseases of small ruminants like, PPR highly affect the already vulnerable livelihoods and could reduce the savings of poor populations. People will normally become desperate when they lose their assets. The outbreaks of PPR and the desperation associated with the loss could trigger migration, turmoil, and security problems.
High fever, oculonasal discharges, gastroenteritis, necrotizing and erosive stomatitis, diarrhea, and bronchopneumonia are clinical signs experienced by the occurrence of PPR. When it gets to this point, there is a case of eventual death or recovery from the disease.
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The disease comes in different stages; the incubation phase, prodromal phase, and mucosal phase where ocular and nasal discharges take place, the diarrhoeal stage and non-fatal case which is the recovery stage in which sheep and goats can recover from PPR to develop an active lifelong immunity. PPR could manifest in forms of per acute, acute, and mild forms depending on how severe the disease is.
PPR is frequently confused with other diseases that have fever as a clinical sign especially when it is newly introduced, some of those diseases include; Bluetongue (BT), Contagious ecthyma (Orf), Foot and mouth disease (FMD), Pasteurellosis, Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP). Prominent lesions in animals affected with PPR include; changes in color of the lungs, consolidation, and frothy mucus.
PPR is greatly considered a top-priority disease whose control is highly considered important for poverty alleviation in Southern Asia and Africa. The major reason behind this vaccination is majored on the elevation of poverty.
The only way to prevent this plague is through vaccination, the vaccine has proven to be completely safe.
Considering that, PPR is a viral disease, it does not have any specific treatment, but affected animals could be taken care of and managed through the administration of antibiotics. Managing and treating clinical cases of PPR when there is an outbreak in sheep and goats is essential to minimize losses to farmers.
Every affected animal needs to be quarantined for at least one month after the last clinical case, at this time animal movements need to be controlled in the infected region. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to carry out such control measures, so the only way to control them is through mass vaccination of the animal and making use of quarantine measures and the use of effective vaccines.
Some other control measures that can be applied are; quarantine of newly purchased animals for 2-3 weeks, knowing the health status of new animals, effective cleaning and disinfection of contaminated premises with the use of lipid solvent solutions, dead animals need to be burnt/buried, animals should also be closely monitored for signs of developing illness, dead animals/carcasses needs to b deeply burnt/buried.
Veterinarians are to instantly examine sick animals, then start making use of separate facilities and staff to handle isolated animals, educate, and train employees about the possible signs of illness, and monitor wild and captive animals, especially those who are in contact with sheep and goats.
Conclusion.
The eradication of PPR is essential as it will help increase sustainability, alleviate poverty, and improve the resilience of poor pastoralists.
Excellent piece on the impact of PPR on small ruminants, emphasizing its crucial role in food security and livelihoods.
The inclusion of control measures and the call for vaccination is imperative.
Interesting Read
Well done!
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