SEROPREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS OF PESTE DES PETITS OF SMALL RUMINANTS IN SELECTED DISTRICTS WITH OUTBREAK STUDY IN WEST ARSI AND ARSI ZONES, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a contagious viral disease of small ruminants that has been targeted for eradication globally. Thus, this study was meant to explore the field outbreak of PPR virus and to estimate the sero-prevalence of the disease with the associated risk factors in sheep and goats in selected districts of West Arsi and Arsi zones of Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2022 to March 2023 on 779 unvaccinated small ruminants (677 sheep and 102 goats). A multistage sampling technique was employed and two district (Sude and Kofele), five Kebeles from each districts and three villages from each Kebeles were randomly selected after the number of village and sample per flock was determined by the sample size formula. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the flocks followed by a species based strata sampling proportional to size of each flock. Data pertaining to the risk factors were collected by a questionnaire format after an oral informed voluntary consent was obtained from the respective animal owners in a face to face interview and observation. Blood sample was collected and tested by c-ELISA. Factors associated with the occurrence of PPR were identified using binary and multivariable logistic regression. Associations were reported by odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. Outbreaks of PPR were explored up on a successive molecular test on swab samples collected from the ocular and nasal area of representative clinical cases in the flock. Morbidity, mortality and case fatality rate of the clinical disease were also estimated. The overall seroprevalence of PPR was 12.19% (95% CI: 10.0-14.7%). Small ruminants in large flock size (AOR = 2.56, 95%CI: 1.38-4.76), brought in to the flock (AOR=3.68, 95%CI: 1.06-12.76), inter flock contact (AOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.23-5. 85), presence of newly introduced animal (AOR = 8.60, 95%CI: 2.38-31.10) and small ruminants from midland area (Sude district) (AOR=5.70, 95%CI: 3.30-9.54) were at higher risk of becoming seropositive to PPR than their counterparts. Five PPR outbreaks were occurred in the study area and resulted; 62.6% morbidity, 19% mortality and 30.3% case fatality rate in the affected flock. 23 clinical cases of PPR were subjected for sampling after a Pen side test (PST). Off which 100%, 48% and 16% of them found positive up PST, ic-ELISA and RT PCR, respectively. The finding depicts the existence of PPR virus circulating in the entire study area. Thus, future studies on the identification of virus lineage and continuous monitoring and surveillance is deemed necessary towards the control and its eradication