SEASONAL SERO PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTOR ASSESSMENT OF PESTE DES PETITS PPR IN RUMINANTS IN GOATS

Abstract

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of small ruminants, posing a significant threat to livestock health and rural economies in Pakistan. This study aimed to assess the sero-prevalence of PPR among goats in District Umarkot through area-wise, sex-wise, age-wise, and seasonal analyses. A total of 100 serum samples were collected from four areas: Umarkot, Petoro, Samaro, and Kunri. The overall sero-prevalence was 64%, with the highest positivity in Petoro (76%) and the lowest in Kunri (52%), though differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.6895). Sex-wise analysis revealed significantly higher sero-prevalence in female goats (72.46%) compared to males (48.38%) with a notable difference in Kunri (P = 0.034). Age-wise, goats aged 6–12 months showed the highest prevalence (73.68%), followed by those over 12 months (58.62%), and the lowest in goats aged 0–6 months (51.51%), with no significant statistical association (P = 0.7681). Seasonal analysis conducted over July, August, and September revealed consistently high sero-prevalence rates of 70%, 62.85%, and 65.71%, respectively, with no significant seasonal variation (P = 0.8124). The findings confirm widespread exposure of goats to PPR virus across all areas, sexes, ages, and seasons, indicating the endemic nature of the disease in Umarkot. The higher prevalence in females and young animals highlights the need for targeted vaccination strategies and year-round surveillance. These results underline the importance of timely and comprehensive PPR control measures to safeguard small ruminant populations in endemic regions.