Awareness of farmers and capacity building of vets and para-vets in disease
identification and epidemiology are crucial to the PPR control program. We
are also working towards these and will appreciate if someone can share
relevant literature in this regard.
Dr. M. Afzal, D.V.M. M.Sc.(UAF), Ph.D.(USA)
Project Coordinator (GCP/PAK/127/USA)
Progressive Control of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Pakistan
FAO Pakistan Office, Park Road
Islamabad
Phone: 051-9255890 Fax: 051-9255891 Cell: 0346-8544161
From: Establishment of a PPR Global Research and Expertise Network
(PPR-GREN) [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul
Rossiter
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2014 12:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: From Dr George Gitao: PPR in East Africa
Dear Colleagues,
In East Africa, PPR is a relatively new disease but has spread relatively
fast to cover the whole region since 2007 when cases were first noticed in
the Karamajong area . Some of the factors that have contributed to this
rapid spread include lack of awareness while undertaking livestock
emergency activities like restocking after drought. It is known that the
first cases in Moyale, Kenya in 2008 occurred when sheep and goats were
trucked from outside the border for a re-stocking programme, where they were
cheaper and yet that country was enzootic.
One of the most effective PPR disease control strategy that can be adapted
by others include the finding that among the Turkana pastoralists, sickly
goats and sheep are kept in isolation and the individual pastoralist is not
allowed to mix his animals with the others in the community while watering
or grazing. This regulation is implemented by community elders and strict
traditional fines are applied to prevent breaking the rules. Such practices
need to be identified and documented as such an idea is acceptable to those
pastoralists and can be widely adapted and thus avoid the widely held
resentment of costly PPR disease control from headquarters
While clinical PPR signs in Turkana were typical, in Mtwara, South Tanzania,
there were extensive skin nodules throughout the body , abortion and
genitalia lesions on top of the typical signs. It would be important to
find out the scope of diversity in clinical signs as it determines case
definition and the content of messages for disease recognition. Enhanced
disease recognition by communities will increase chances of control.
While we were able to confirm PPR through real time PCR in Kenya and
conventional PCR in Tanzania, these technologies are not widely available
and capacity to run them is minimal. Cheap diagnostic kits would be
preferable for more widespread confirmation if comprehensive control is to
be achieved. We were also able to perform experimental infection in goats
and sheep and re-confirm these with PCR. Our work in Tanzania convinced
the Government to initiate vaccination in the Mtwara region
Lastly, inadequate coverage or untimely vaccination is prevalent in in
East Africa as the reasons are mostly political rather than strategic
objectives
Dr. Gitao C. G
Senior Lecturer, University of Nairobi
Dept of Vet. Pathology and Microbiology
P.O. Box 29053, code OO625, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254721846346
Head: Regional project on Capacity Building in PPR control in East Africa
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