Epidemiological investigation and risk factors of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in goats of Northeastern Bangladesh

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) remains a major constraint to small ruminant health and rural livelihoods in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study investigated the molecular and serological prevalence and associated risk factors of PPR among 368 unvaccinated goats sampled from eight upazilas in northeastern Bangladesh between April and July 2024. Competitive ELISA and RT-PCR targeting the N and F genes were used to detect PPR-specific antibodies and molecular detection, respectively. The seroprevalence was 35.05% (95% CI: 30.18-40.17), while the molecular prevalence was 16.6% (95% CI: 12.92-20.78). At the household-level (n = 90), the molecular prevalence was 41.11% (95% CI: 30.81-51.98), while the seroprevalence was 75.56% (95% CI: 65.29-84.07). Among clinical signs, coughing was strongly associated with PPR virus infection. Multivariable logistic regression identified two potential key factors of PPR infection: water source and grazing system. Goats drinking supply water showed higher odds of PPR positivity compared to those using pond water (aOR = 2.19; 95% CI: 0.97-5.13), although this association was not statistically significant (p > 0.05) and should be considered as borderline. In contrast, goats managed under free-ranging systems had significantly higher odds of PPR positivity compared to gidding grazing systems (aOR = 3.64; 95% CI: 1.15-16.13). These findings underscore the role of management practices and environmental exposure in PPR transmission. Targeted improvements in water management, grazing practices, and surveillance are essential for Bangladesh to achieve its goal of PPR eradication by 2030.