Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR)
Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR)
Last update: 2025-05-09
Key facts
- Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting small ruminants, primarily sheep and goats. The disease does not affect humans but is important due to its socioeconomic impact particularly on farmers, households and communities who depend on such livestock animals for food, nutrition and livelihoods
- It is caused by a Morbillivirus, closely related to the viruses that cause measles, rinderpest, and canine distemper.
- PPR can cause up to 90% mortality in susceptible herds, especially in regions where animals have not been vaccinated or exposed to the virus previously.
- The disease majorly affects livestock in regions of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
- PPR threatens about 80 percent of the global small ruminant population of nearly 2 billion animals and causes significant economic losses thereby threatening food security.
Transmission
- Direct contact with infected animals through bodily fluids such as discharges from the nose, saliva, urine, and faeces.
- Breathing in droplets from infected animals in densely packed herds.
- Contact with contaminated equipment, clothing, vehicles, and feed
- Unregulated animal movement, particularly during trade or migration
- Ingesting contaminated animal products when fed to other animals
Most Vulnerable to Contracting the Disease
- All sheep and goats
- Young animals between 4 months to 2 years.
- Unvaccinated Herds
Signs in animals
- Sudden onset of fever
- Discharges from the eyes and nose
- Severe depression, evidenced by low activity, poor appetite and change in sleeping patterns
- Painful blisters in the mouth
- Excessive salivation
- Difficulty eating
- Severe diarrhoea
- Dehydration
- Pneumonia
- Death (if untreated)
What can you do to prevent and control an epidemic?
Monitoring the community and identifying sick people
- Identify and isolate sick animals before they spread the disease to others
- Observe animals for signs of blisters, ulcers, and lesions on the mouth, tongue, and salivation
- Assist in documenting suspected cases and keeping records for tracking purposes
- Help veterinarians by observing high-risk areas where animals from different farms may interact
Treatment and management
- Refer severely ill animals to animal health facilities
- Animals that recover get long term immunity, sometimes life-long immunity
- Educate farmers on how to transport animals to quarantine areas and ensure that no contact occurs between sick and healthy animals during movement
- In severe outbreaks, assist veterinarians and staff with proper disposal of dead animalsmethods, such as incineration or deep burial
Appropriate sanitation and waste management
- Promote recommended environmental hygiene and cleaning practices
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched frequently and dirty items,
- Where relevant, support the education and implementation of appropriate biosecurity measures by farmers
Social mobilization and health promotion
- Find out the specific advice being given by animal health and other relevant authorities
- Model following this advice and inform community members of current health practice advice
- Offer support and encouragement to follow the advice
- Try to gain understanding about if and why health practice advice is not being followed
- With the guidance of your supervisor and health authorities, work with communities to overcome barriers to following health advice and recommended practices
Immunization in animals
- Support routine and mass vaccination campaigns
- Vaccinations are very effective, especially in endemic areas
- Best practices; vaccinations should start at 3 months for goats and sheep.
- Vaccinations confer immunity for a minimum of 3 years
Mapping and community assessment
- Make a map of the community.
- Mark the following information on the map:
- What species of animals have fallen sick with PPR?
- How many animals have fallen sick with PPR? Where?
- How many animals have died? Where? When?
- Who and where are the vulnerable animals?
- Where are the local animal health facilities and services?
- Where do animals get their drinking water?
- Record the following information on the back of the map:
- When did animals start to fall sick with PPR?
- What species of animals are typically being reared in the affected community?
- How many animals are being reared in the affected community?
- Do people do anything to treat their water?
- Do people know how to treat water?
- How do they do it?
- What sanitation facilities are available?
- Do people use them?
- What biosecurity measures are available?
- Are most farms fenced?
- How far apart are farms from one another
- What other biosecurity measures do they have
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick animals?
- Is a social mobilization or animal health promotion programme in place?
- Which sources do people use/trust the most for information?
- Are there rumours or misinformation about PPR? What are the rumours?
- Can people identify the signs and symptoms of dehydration in animals?
Volunteer actions
Other resources
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Peste des Petits Ruminants (n.d.)
- The Centre for Food Security and Public Health; Pestes des Petits Ruminants. (2015)
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH); Pestes des Petits Ruminants. (2020)
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH); Pestes des Petits Ruminants (n.d.)