Peste des Petits Ruminants in Central and Eastern Asia/West Eurasia: Epidemiological Situation and Status of Control and Eradication Activities after the First Phase of the PPR Global Eradication Programme (2017-2021)

Abstract

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious infectious disease of small ruminants caused by peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). PPR poses a significant threat to sheep and goat systems in over 65 endemic countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It is also responsible for devastating outbreaks in susceptible wildlife, threatening biodiversity. For these reasons, PPR is the target of the Global Eradication Programme (PPR GEP), launched in 2016, which is aimed at eradicating the disease by 2030. The end of the first five-year phase of the PPR GEP (2017-2021) provides an ideal opportunity to assess the status of the stepwise control and eradication process. This review analyses 13 countries belonging to Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia, and Central and East Asia. Substantial heterogeneity is apparent in terms of PPR presence and control strategies implemented by different countries. Within this region, one country is officially recognised as PPR-free, seven countries have never reported PPR, and two have had no outbreaks in the last five years. Therefore, there is real potential for countries in this region to move forward in a coordinated manner to secure official PPR freedom status and thus reap the trade and socioeconomic benefits of PPR eradication.

Keywords: Asia; Economic Cooperation Organization; PPR GEP; disease eradication; goats; peste des petits ruminants; sheep; small ruminant; small ruminant morbillivirus; wildlife.

Figure 1

Map of the region showing the distribution of domestic SR (sheep and goats) at the subregional level (adjusted to FAOSTAT population figures for 2020) and the location of reported PPR outbreaks that occurred between 2012 and 2022 in domestic and wild animals. PPR outbreak data were obtained from EMPRES-i [25], from EU-ADIS (for Turkey) [26] and through the Iran Veterinary Organization (for the Islamic Republic of Iran) [27]. The density of domestic SR (head per square km) is indicated by the colour shading, and PPR outbreaks in domestic and wild animals are denoted by purple dots and green triangles, respectively.

Figure 2

Map of the region under consideration showing each country’s PPR epidemiological and current vaccination status, retrieved respectively from OIE WAHIS and from Roadmap meetings. See main text for further details.

Figure 3

Map of the region detailing each country’s self-reported stage within the stepwise approach of the PPR GCES, updated in October 2021, except for Mongolia (last update in 2017) and Tajikistan (last update in 2019).