An outbreak of peste des petitis ruminants in sheep and goats atSalem district of Tamil Nadu, India

An unknown disease outbreak was reported in four villages of Salem district viz., Aranganoor, Athigaripatty, Avadathur and Amanikondalanpatty in Tamil Nadu State and subsequent mortality among the Mecheri breed of sheep and Tellichery breed of goat was investigated. The clinical signs observed among the animals were high fever, anorexia, profuse diarrhoea with bilateral mucopurulent oculonasal discharge. Bran like necrotic ulcers in the mucosa of oral cavity, tongue, dental pad was seen on necropsy. Samples were collected for laboratory based diagnostic assay and the investigation using RT-PCR confirmed the etiology as PPR. The Nucleoprotein gene of the virus was sequenced and phylogeny of the N gene sequence showed that the virus belongs to lineage IV PPRV.