Peste des Petits

Ruminants in Goat

Dr.Kedar Karki
Central Veterinary Laboratory Kathmandu
 Background
• Ovine rinderpest, also commonly known as peste
des petits ruminants (PPR), is a contagious
disease affecting goats and sheep in Africa (from
Tropic of Cancer to Equator), the Middle-East and
the Indian subcontinent. But since June 2008, the
disease invaded Morocco , which indicates a
crossing of the natural barrier of Sahara. It is
caused by a species of the Morbillivirus genus of
viruses. The disease is highly contagious, and has
roughly an 80 percent mortality rate in acute
cases.
 Disease appellations
• In the first time, kata was the appellation
of a stomatitis and pneumoenteritis of
Nigerian dwarf goat. Peste des Petits
Ruminants was the French name of a
similar disease in sheep and goat first
described in Ivory Coast in 1942. Both
diseases were shown to be very close to
each others. 
• Many authors prefer the appellation of
"Ovine Rinderpest". But official
instances like FAO and OIE use the
French name "Peste des Petits
Ruminants", "Peste Des Petits
Ruminants", "Peste-des-Petits-
Ruminants" or "Peste-des-petits-
ruminants", even in English.
Geographical repartition
• The disease is present in
West Africa, part of Central Africa (
Gabon, Central African Republic),
East Africa (North of the Equator),
Middle East and Indian subcontinent
including Nepal and Burman.
• In North Africa, only Egypt was once
hit. But since summer 2008, Morocco is
suffering a generalized outbreak with
133 known cases in 129 provinces,
mostly affecting sheep. The outbreak
has precipitated the vaccination of a
large amount of the 17 million sheep and
five million goats in the country
• The disease is spread from a region to
another by sick animals. As virus is early
inactivated outside the body, indirect
contamination is generally limited.
• In an affected flock, even in pest-free
regions, the disease do not progress very
rapidly, although close contact between
animals. New clinical cases may be oberved
daily for a one-month period.
 Symptoms
• They are similar to those of
rinderpest in cattle. They vary
following the previous immunitary
status of sheep (enzootic or newly
infected country). They also vary
following sheep breed.
• Incubation period is two to six days.
 Hyperacute cases

• Hyperacute cases are found dead

without previous symptoms. They die
with a serous, foamy or haemorrhagic
discharge coming out of the nose.
 Acute cases at onset

• In acute cases, animals are recumbent, sometimes

in self-auscultation position.
• Body temperature is high (40.5 to 41°C.) in the
beginning of the onset in acute cases.
• The most typical signs are seen in the
digestive tract. When entering an affected flock,
one sees many animals with hind limbs stained by
sticky faeces. Some sheep have an arched back
and show pain to defecate. Tenesmus may be
noticed when taking rectal temperature. Fluid
faeces are olive green to brown.
• Examination of the mouth shows
ulceration of the buccal mucosae,
especially on the inner face of the lips,
and neighboring gum. They can be
periodontitis.
• There is serous nasal exsudate and
conjunctivitis.
Evolution of acute cases

• Nasal discharge becomes mucopurulent and may

obstruct the nose.
• A dry, fitfull coughing develops.
• Death occurs from 5 to 10 days after the onset
of the fever.
• Some animals may recover, but a dry, stertorous
coughing often persists for some days. 
• Besides coughing, there is a intensive labial
dermatitis with scab formation, resembling orf.
Self-auscultation in an acute case/@drkedark
Hind legs stained with sticky diarrhorea/@drkedark
Arched back (painfull defecation)/@drkedark
inflammation and erosion of the mouth/@drkedark
Periodontitis/@drkedark
Mucopurulent nasal exsudate/@drkedark
Orf-like scabs on lips in a recovering case, Day 8/@drkedark
Clinical Picture of PPR in Goat;@drkedark
 Post-mortem lesions
• Field veterinarians should be aware that
the pathognomonic lesions are situated in
the digestive tract. Quick post-mortem
examination will lead to the discovery of
many haemorrhagic patches on the serous
membranes, and intense pneumonia. They is
a risk is to conclude to enzootic pneumonia,
and not open the mouth, oesophagus and
different parts of intestine.
• Erosions and inflammation is widespread
on buccal mucosa. The same lesions are
also present in pharynx, oesophagus, and
on mucus-producing epithelia of the gut,
from abomasum to rectum. Zebra-
striped lesions on coecum and colon are
said to be typical in some cases. Rarely,
they are also petechiae on the rumen
mucosa.