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Abstract: Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infection was confirmed in a herd of goats (n =55) at an organised farm in Islamabad, Pakistan. PPRV infection was confirmed using both antigen- and antibody-based detection methods, haemagglutination (HA) tests and molecular methods. Animals that survived natural infection developed a typical serological response and virus antigen was detected in fecal matter. Following determination of serological response to infection animals were grouped and either vaccinated or left unvaccinated: group 1 animals succumbed to infection (n =5) and samples were analysed for PPRV antigen; group 2 animals developed clinical disease (n =10) and were divided into 2 groups, half being vaccinated (group 2a) whilst the remainder were unvaccinated (group 2b); group 3 (n =15) animals included those that developed only very mild clinical disease or no clinical disease; group 4 animals (n =5) were negative for clinical disease and were housed as a negative control group. A variable antibody response was detected following resolution of the initial outbreak. Excretion of virus antigen was assessed at different time points following vaccination. Importantly, animals that were vaccinated (group 2a) excreted antigen in fecal matter for 1 month following vaccination whilst unvaccinated animals (group 2b) continued to shed virus antigen for 2 months. The potential for virus excretion in fecal matter and effects of vaccination upon virus infection are discussed. We postulate that excretion in fecal material may represent a mechanism of virus transmission following natural infection and that this mechanism may demonstrate a potential method by which PPRV outbreaks occur spontaneously in areas not previously known to have circulating virus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Present study is a detailed investigation on the occurrence and mortality caused by Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and its possible association with carrier status in a sheep herd in Islamabad capital territory (ICT) area of Pakistan. A total of 95 animals (50 adult and 45 young) were present in the herd at the start of the outbreak and about 22 out of 45 young ones (Age= 15-30 days) were died in a period of 2 weeks. Only 10 out of 50 adult sheep showed the clinical signs of the disease but the interesting feature of outbreak was that the kids from the clinically healthy sheep also develop the disease and expired. This experience is indicative of the possible excretion of virus in the milk of dam before the onset or without the clinical signs which is pointing towards the FMD carrier status in sheep. On postmortem of the dead animals, yellow streaks were found on the heart which is indicative of FMD virus infection. Later the sampling was performed from the infected dam showing the non-structural antibodies (NSP) for FMDV. The tissue samples for the morbid animals were tested for the presence of FMD antigen by Indirect Sandwich ELISA (Is ELISA) as well as RT-PCR. The samples from the heart tissue and blood were found positive for FMD antigen with serotype Asia-1. There was a high mortality rate in young ones (22/45) but the history revealed that the disease was present in the area during previous years but the clinical ailment was not severe. So it might be the emergence of serotype "Asia-1" in the sheep population which was linked to disease severity. It is worth-mentioning that no FMD vaccination is being carried out in small ruminants especially in animals with the nomads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]