Peste des Petits Ruminants at the Wildlife–Livestock Interface in the Northern Albertine Rift and Nile Basin, East Africa

A recent study reveals a significant epidemiological linkage between peste des petits ruminants (PPR) outbreaks in livestock and exposure in wildlife within the northern Albertine Rift and Nile Basin, East Africa. The research identified widespread PPR virus (PPRV) exposure in healthy wildlife from South Sudan and Uganda, with antibodies detected in African buffaloes and Uganda kobs, indicating a spillover of the disease to wildlife populations. Outbreaks of PPR-like syndrome were also recorded in sheep and goats around the Greater Virunga Landscape, suggesting a transboundary spread of PPRV. The study's findings highlight the importance of PPR surveillance on wild artiodactyls for both conservation efforts and global eradication programs.

Fernandez Aguilar, X., Mahapatra, M., Begovoeva, M., Kalema-Zikusoka, G., Driciru, M., Ayebazibwe, C., Adwok, D. S., Kock, M., Lukusa, J.-P. K., Muro, J., Marco, I., Colom-Cadena, A., Espunyes, J., Meunier, N., Cabezón, O., Caron, A., Bataille, A., Libeau, G., Parekh, K., et al. (2020). Peste des Petits Ruminants at the Wildlife–Livestock Interface in the Northern Albertine Rift and Nile Basin, East Africa. Viruses, 12(3), 293. https://doi.org/10.3390/v12030293