Veterinary Sciences (Jan 2023)

A Clinical, Pathological, Epidemiological and Molecular Investigation of Recent Outbreaks of Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus in Domestic and Wild Small Ruminants in the Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

  • Hassan Zackaria Ali Ishag,
  • Abdelnasir Mohammed Adam Terab,
  • Yassir Mohammed Eltahir,
  • El Tigani Ahmed El Tigani-Asil,
  • Nasereldien Altaib Hussein Khalil,
  • Esamt Faisal Malik Gasim,
  • Mohd Farouk Yuosf,
  • Saeed Mohamed Saeed Al Yammahi,
  • Asma Mohammed Amer Al Mansoori,
  • Salama Suhail Mohammed Al Muhairi,
  • Zulaikha Mohamed Abdel Hameed Al Hammadi,
  • Asma Abdi Mohamed Shah,
  • Majd Mohamed Azmi Naser Alherbawi,
  • Mervat Mari Hassan Al Nuaimat,
  • Oum Keltoum Bensalah,
  • Abdelmalik Ibrahim Khalafalla

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10010056
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
p. 56

Abstract

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(1) Background: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious animal disease affecting small ruminants, leading to significant economic losses. There has been little published data on PPR virus (PPRV) infection in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); (2) Methods: four outbreaks reported in goats and Dama gazelle in 2021 were investigated using pathological and molecular testing; (3) Results: The infected animals showed symptoms of dyspnea, oculo-nasal secretions, cough, and diarrhea. Necropsy findings were almost similar in all examined animals and compliant to the classical forms of the disease. Phylogenetic analysis based on N gene and F gene partial sequences revealed a circulation of PPRV Asian lineage IV in the UAE, and these sequences clustered close to the sequences of PPRV from United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Iran; (4) Conclusions: PPRV Asian lineage IV is currently circulating in the UAE. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first study describing PPRV in domestic small ruminant in the UAE.

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