Hi all,

By way of introduction my name is Ashley Banyard and have worked with
morbilliviruses for over 14 years now having initially studied in the
laboratory of the late Prof Tom Barrett at the (then) IAH and now in my
current post at the Weybridge labs (AHVLA) in the UK. To those of you I
know through previous meetings, I hope you all are well. To those of you
I don't know, I'm pleased to see you share a passion for the fight
against this virus. I must say so far the e-conference idea has
facilitated many interesting exchanges. I only have a few small comments
to make- apologies if these comments have already been made by others, I
have not been available to read every single comment. 

 

1)   On the 'emergence of PPRV'- I have to say that I echo the thoughts
of others on the suggestion that PPR has emerged. I too believe that the
virus has previously been present in many of the areas that have
recently reported detection for the first time, but for whatever reason
remained unreported. Publications are important, and impact is often a
high priority but I'm never quite sure that a new detection of PPRV in a
region where PPRV has been seen for many years constitutes publication
in journals such as 'Emerging Infectious Diseases'. Still, as a high
calibre journal, at least such publications raise the awareness and
importance of the virus to a wider audience. The detection of PPRV or
serological evidence for previous infection in other species is also
interesting. Some have speculated that in the absence of RPV,
serological naivety across enormous ruminant populations might lead to
another morbillivirus filling the gap. Will the apparently ever
promiscuous CDV play a role? What about recent detections of further
morbillivirus, or morbillivirus like entities in rodents and bats? It
certainly is an exciting time to be studying these viruses and I hope
that such detections stimulate the kind of funding required to start
investigating such possibilities. Currently though we need further
information regarding the role of camels and large ruminant species on
the epidemiology of the virus.

2)   Lessons learnt from RPV- As I have discussed with many of you at
various meetings it still feels like an opportunity lost that
international momentum to try and combat PPRV didn't initiate as RPV was
formally eradicated. A period of several years passed in which time,
across resource limited settings, staff and facilities were perhaps
reduced. Still, initiatives like this and the GPRA serve to increase
momentum towards eradication hopes for PPRV. With a global community
that has PPR on its radar we can try and move forward and plan a
sensible, informed structure to approach this problem. However, a
thorough evaluation of facilities in different areas would enable a
focussed approach to initiating key areas for development at the level
of the laboratory.

3)   DIVA vaccines- In collaboration with my good friend and colleague
Prof Satya Parida at the Pirbright Institute we too are developing a
DIVA vaccine and test. From previous comments it seems that some have
commented on the necessity of such a tool whilst others have been less
in favour, instead promoting the utility of existing vaccines to get the
job done. However, I wonder if serological surveillance, as successfully
achieved for RPV will be as successful with small ruminant populations
of lower economic value and potentially a more fragmented population
structure. I believe the need for DIVA remains and is high and would
ease the process of eradication greatly, especially, as others have
suggested when moving towards the final stages of eradication. 

4)   Regarding a comment that I saw on the administration of
prophylactic tools in the wake of an outbreak. I'm not sure that
antibody based therapy as a form of passive immunisation would be
economically viable. I currently work predominantly in the rabies field
and we are developing novel post tools for application to humans bitten
by a (potentially) rabid animal. We are developing novel tools because
of the problems associated with the cost and supply of current rabies
immunoglobulin. Although some preparations of mAb cocktails are now
being generated to replace RIG, biological scale up is still expensive
and as such we are turning to cheaper tools developed in planta. Whilst
the mAb model with rabies might be applicable to treating humans that
may have been infected with a virus that (following the onset of
clinical disease) is invariably fatal I'm not sure it will translate to
small ruminant protection. Instead, I still feel, as discussed with some
of you in Kenya at the 2nd GPRA meeting that vitamin feed
supplementation may be a good direction to reduce the effects of PPRV in
a herd as a much needed boost to host immune status in the face of such
an immunosuppressive pathogen may aid reduction in opportunistic
secondary infections that lead to the mortalities seen.

 

Anyway, I look forward to more lively debate and hope that the outcome
of this conference will benefit all communities striving to better
understand and combat PPRV.

Kindest

Ash

 

 

Dr Ashley C. Banyard
Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group
Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Weybridge
New Haw
Surrey
KT15 3NB
 
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Fax: +44 (0) 1932 357239

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