Short communication - Comparative study on peste des petits ruminants seroconversion level in sheep in Sudan

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Immunology
• Epidemiology of Transboundary Animal Diseases

Background:

• Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting small ruminants and is endemic in Sudan.
• PPR is recognized as a priority transboundary animal disease (TAD) due to its significant economic impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic reliability of a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for detecting PPR virus antibodies.
• To assess antibody prevalence in sheep populations in Sudan, encompassing both naturally infected and vaccinated animals.

Main Methods:

• Sera were collected from 3,186 sheep across six Sudanese states.
• An additional 100 sheep were experimentally vaccinated with a local PPR vaccine under quarantine conditions.
• Antibody detection was performed using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA).

Main Results:

• Field sera showed high percentages of PPR antibody positivity, ranging from 72% to 100% across different states.
• All 100 experimentally vaccinated sheep developed PPR antibodies, confirmed by cELISA.
• The study observed very high seropositivity rates in both naturally infected and vaccinated sheep populations.

Conclusions:

• The competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) demonstrates high reliability for detecting Peste des petits ruminants antibodies in sheep.
• The findings indicate a widespread presence of PPR or successful vaccination responses in Sudanese sheep populations.
• The cELISA is a valuable tool for epidemiological surveillance and disease control programs for PPR in Sudan.