Project: Improved understanding of the epidemiology of peste-des-petits ruminants
Improved understanding of the epidemiology of peste-des-petits ruminants (PPR) Peste-des-petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is a negative strand RNA virus, belonging to Morbillivirus genus in the family Paramyxoviridae. It causes a devastating disease in sheep and goats leading to serious economic losses in the small ruminant industry in many developing countries. PPR is endemic in Asia, the Middle East and East, Central and West Africa. After recentoutbreak reports from Turkey and Morocco, there is now a risk of introduction of PPR to Europe. In addition, this disease is the target for global eradication after rinderpest. However, the epidemiology of the disease is poorly understood and therefore mainly based on assumptions derived from rinderpest. This proposed epidemiological study will aim at identifying wildlife population in East, Central and West Africa and Turkey, which are infected by PPR and pose a risk of spreading disease to other wildlife and livestock. An intensive clinical survey of the disease will be conducted, followed by targeted sero-epidemiological surveys of wildlife at risk. New rapid detection methods [i.e. lateral flow device (LFD), Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), and PCR] will be developed, which will use the excretions from infected animals, including fresh faecal samples to identify the antigen. Using New Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques, the full genome of PPRV will be sequenced and this will assist in studying the molecular epidemiology of PPRV, and thus in better understanding the transboundary movement of the virus as well as in identifying the transmission pathways of the virus during outbreaks. Furthermore, this will help to identify molecular determinants responsible for virulence, pathogenicity and evolution of PPR virus.
| Acronym | IUEPPR |
| Network | ANIHWA |
| Call | First ANiHWA Call |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Research for Development | France | ||
| Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health | Germany | ||
| International Atomic Energy Agency | Austria | ||
| Pirbright Institute | Coordinator | United Kingdom | |
| Royal Veterinary College | United Kingdom | ||
| Swedish National Veterinary Institute | Sweden |