Abstract:
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease which primarily affects small ruminants, causing significant economic
losses for the livestock industry in developing countries. It is endemic in Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East
and the Indian sub-continent. The primary hosts for peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) are goats and sheep; however
recent models studying the pathology, disease progression and viremia of PPRV have focused primarily on goat models.
This study evaluates the tissue tropism and pathogenesis of PPR following experimental infection of sheep and goats using
a quantitative time-course study. Upon infection with a virulent strain of PPRV, both sheep and goats developed clinical
signs and lesions typical of PPR, although sheep displayed milder clinical disease compared to goats. Tissue tropism of PPRV
was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Lymph nodes, lymphoid tissue and digestive tract organs
were the predominant sites of virus replication. The results presented in this study provide models for the comparative
evaluation of PPRV pathogenesis and tissue tropism in both sheep and goats. These models are suitable for the
establishment of experimental parameters necessary for the evaluation of vaccines, as well as further studies into PPRV-host
interactions.
