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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Tel: +44 (0) 1932 357722

Fax: +44 (0) 1932 357239

www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla

 

 

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