Peste des Petits Ruminants

Pest des petits ruminants (PPR) is a disease first described in 1941 in West Africa. It is caused by a virus belonging to the family Paramyxoviridae. The virus is highly virulent for goats and sheep. There is no virus carriage. The incubation period is 5-6 days. Mortality is high. Transmission of infection is through close contact between sick and healthy animals – infection occurs mainly through the respiratory tract. In pathogenesis, the lymphatic system plays a major role. The infection predominantly affects small ruminant flocks. Clinical symptoms are mainly lesions on the muzzle, nose and urogenital tract. Diagnosis is based on characteristic clinical and pathological anatomical evidence. Stringent measures are necessary to isolate and quarantine risky flocks and farms. In connection with a PPR epizootic in Syria, the import of lambs from our country was terminated. The team of Bulgarian specialists sent to Syria proved that Bulgaria had nothing to do with the epizootic in that country. In 2018, the dangerous disease of sheep and goats was detected in Bulgaria. Data reported in the press and other media seriously differed from the well-known characteristics of the Pest des petits ruminants infection.