Vol. 10, Special Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
S Chitradevi, S Sivaraman and R Madheswaran

Abstract:
Peste des petitis ruminants (PPR) is an acute febrile, extremely contagious and infectious disease of goats along with high morbidity as well as fatality rate. The present study was carried out to investigate and confirm natural outbreak of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in cross bred Jamunapari goats in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu, India. The characteristic clinical signs of PPR were observed in affected animals including high fever (more than 40 °C), catarrhal nasal discharge, crusts around the nostrils, lachrymal discharge, erosive-ulcerative oral lesions covered with gray to yellow pseudo membrane on the gums, lips, tongue and palates and also diarrhea. Nasal swabs were taken from clinically affected goats and stored at -80⁰C until processing. The collected nasal swabs were pooled and RNA was extracted and converted into cDNA. M gene specific Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was carried out and found positive for PPR virus infection. The PPRV was isolated in Vero cells and showed the characteristic CPE viz. rounding, syncytia and detachment of cell sheet. It was observed that cross bred Jamunapari breed was alo susceptible to PPR infection. Hence, the breed susceptibility may be considered while implementing control and eradication programme for PPR.