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Establishment of a PPR Global Research and Expertise Network (PPR-GREN)

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Paul Rossiter <[log in to unmask]>
Mon, 3 Feb 2014 07:49:15 +0000
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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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