Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus Transmission by a Resistant Local Breeds of Sheep, Morocco
Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus Transmission by a Resistant Local Breeds of Sheep, Morocco
M. Hammouchi1*, G. Sebbar1, N. Touil2, C. Loutfi1, Y.S. Malik3, M. El-Harrak1 and O. Fassi-Fehri4
ABSTRACT
Peste des Petits Ruminants virus (PPRV) has caused a serious outbreak of disease in small ruminants recently in 2008 in Morocco. The field data obtained during the outbreak indicated that there were marked differences in breed susceptibilities to PPRV infection. In the field exotic breeds of Alpine goats were observed to be highly susceptible to the disease, with mortality rates approaching 100%, contrary to local breeds which were less susceptible to the disease. In the present study, animals of local breed of Moroccan sheep (Timahdid) were experimentally infected using the protocol previously validated for Alpine goats. The infected animals showed mild or no clinical signs of disease, with low levels of viral RNA detectable in swabs and fecal samples taken at the peak of infection. The transmission of the disease to animals (Timahdid breeds) brought into contact without manifestation of clinical signs, may indicate that local breeds of sheep might play an important role in the prevention of dissemination of PPR by virtue of its natural immunity.
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