DefinePK

Abstract

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a rapidly spreading and severe disease. A high mortality rate also characterizes the disease, which is caused by a virus of the genus Morbillivirus, the family Paramyxoviridae. This study aimed to detect peste des petits ruminants (PPRV) antibodies in sheep herds located in Hama governorate, Syria. The study was conducted on 400 blood samples collected from sheep with clinical signs of PPR in herds. The serological investigation was carried out using ELISA. Based on cELISA, 28% (112/400) samples were PPR-positive (95% CI: 23.59-32.41). The seropositivity of PPR was significantly (P<0.001) higher in the Alhamra district (60%; 42/70) as compared to other districts. Similarly, seropositivity was higher in less than 6 months age (50.59%; 43/85), followed by market sheep, farming as rearing system and install feeding (47.5%, 19/40), desert (32%; 103/350) than in other ecological zones, and in female sheep (31.53%, 99/314). It was concluded that PPR is an imminent threat to sheep herds and index to an upcoming epizootic in Syria.