Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute, highly contagious disease known as goat plague. Caused by Morbillivirus, the disease mostly affects goats aged between 4 months and 2 years. It has high mortality rate too.
Disease transmission
The virus spread through the body fluids and excreta of the infected goats. Direct contact with the infected goats and use of polluted fodder, drinking water and farm equipment also cause indirect transmission.
Within one week of infection, the goats start showing symptoms like fever, cough, not taking feed, runny nose and eyes.
Immunity decreases during this phase and the goat may develop other infections too. In severe cases, goats end up dying due to breathing trouble, pneumonia and diarrhea.
Prevention
PPR cell culture vaccine developed by the Department of Animal Husbandry is effective to prevent this disease.
Vaccine is available in veterinary hospitals. First vaccination can be given to the goats aged above 3 months. This should be repeated every year.
PPR vaccine developed by companies like Indian Immunologicals and Hester Biosciences also is available in the market.
Safety measures
Goats with suspected infection should be quarantined. Avoid buying goats and collecting feed from places where infection is traced.
When new goats are purchased, quarantine them for 3 weeks before letting them mingle with the farm goats. Also avoid using male goats in quarantine for breeding.
If any unnatural death is observed, approach veterinary doctors for postmortem and find out cause of death.
