Expansion in host dynamics of peste des petits ruminants: Potential attribute of outbreaks in disease-endemic settings

•PPRV is causing infection in a wide range of susceptible hosts particularly in disease-endemic regions.•Clinical and/ or subclinical infection have been observed with emphasis of cross-species transmission.•To achieving the goals of OIE and FAO, a better understanding of virus transmission, host susceptibility, and epidemiological investigation of the disease is crucial.•This review is the first to summarize the scattered data on PPR in-so-far available information about cross-species transmission and its impact on the novel and unusual hosts. Since the first case report in 1942, the peste-des-petits-ruminants virus (PPRV) has been causing infection in a wide range of susceptible hosts, particularly in disease-endemic regions. In the last 40 years, various reports highlighted the evidence of disease and viral genome in around 46 animal species from nine diverse families, including Bovidae, Cervidae, Camelidae, Suidae, Canidae, Felidae, Muridae, and Elephantidae. This evidence of clinical and/ or subclinical infection and the presence of the virus in an extended range of susceptible hosts emphasizes the cross-species transmission that remains a significant obstacle to effective control, particularly in disease-endemic regions. Therefore, a better understanding of virus transmission, host susceptibility, and epidemiological investigation of the disease is crucial to achieving the goals of efficient disease control and eradication programs initiated by OIE and FAO in various diseases-endemic regions. Nevertheless, the propensity of PPRV to inter- and intra-transmission may be a possible constraint in disease control strategies in terms of the new outbreak with the involvement of unusual or novel hosts. Considering this aspect, we tried to summarize the scattered data on PPR in available information about the susceptibility of a wide range of wildlife species, large ruminants, camels, and unusual hosts.