PertanikaJ. Trop. Agric. Sci. 27(2): 101 - 105 (2004) ISSN: 1511-3701© Universiti Putra Malaysia Press

Effects of Vaccination on the Prevalence of Peste Des Petits Ruminants(PPR) in Small Ruminants in Taraba State, Nigeria

*H.M MAl, 21. SAIDU, 30.L OBASI & 4M.A. ILIYASUlAnimal Production Programme, School of Agriculture,

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, P.M.B. 0248 Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria2Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,

Veterinary Department, Bauchi, Nigeria3Faculty of Agriculture, University of Uyo Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria

4Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,Veterinary Department, Taraba State, Nigeria

Keywords: Vaccination, Peste Des Petits Ruminants, small ruminants, Taraba State

ABSTRAK

Satu kajian telah dUalankan untuk menentukan taburan PesteDes Petits Ruminants (PPR) dan usaha pemvaksinandi Negeri Taraba, Nigeria menggunakan data yang dikumpulkan daripada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Veterinar diKementerian Pertanian dan Pembangunan Luar Bandar Negeri antara tahun 1992 dan 1998. Keputusanmenunjukkan bahawa penyakit tersebut adalah paling tersebar luas semasa bulan-bulan yang sejuk pada tahuntersebut (Hamattan) dan permulaan musim hujan. Begitu juga, tercetusnya penyakit tersebut yang meningkatkerana pengenduran program kempen pemvaksinan. Diperhatikan bahawa jumlah tercetusnya penyakit tersebutadalah rendah apabila pemvaksinan menggunakan Tissue-Culture-Rinderpest Vaccine (TCRV) yang diperkuatkandan ia meningkat apabila pemvaksinan dikendurkan. Ia boleh disimpulkan daripada kajian ini bahawa kempenpemvaksinan intensifruminan kecil terhadap PPR melalui peruntukan fasiliti secukupnya, vaksin TCRV, melatihpeker:ja luar dan kempen kesedaran massa di kampung-kampung adalah paling utama untuk mengawal ancaman

penyakit ini di Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

An investigation was conducted in order to determine the distribution of Peste Des Petits Ru'minants (PPR) andvaccination efforts in Taraba State of Nigeria using data collected from the Veterinary Services Department of theState's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development between 1992 and 1998. The results showed that thedisease is most prevalent during the cold months of the year (Hamattan) and beginning of the rainy season.Similarly, outbreaks increased with the relaxation of vaccination campaign programmes. It was observed that thenumber of outbreak was low when a vaccination using Tissue-Culture-Rinderpest Vaccine (TCRV) was intensifiedand it increases when the vaccination was relaxed. It was concluded from this study that intensive vaccinationcampaign of small ruminants against the PPR through provision of adequate facilities, TCRV vaccines, trainingoffield workers and mass enlightenment campaign in the villages are paramount to control menace of the disease

in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION

Peste Des Petits ruminants (PPR) is an acuteand highly contagious rinderpest - like viraldisease of small ruminants, especially sheep andgoats. It causes higher morbidity and mortalityin goats than in sheep. The disease is characterizedby fever, pneumonia, occulonasal discharge,

anorexia, necrotizing erosive stomatitis, enteritisand diarrhea (Nawathe and Taylor 1979).

The PPR is caused by a Morbillivirus whichhas been shown to be similar in ultrastructure tothe rinderpest, canine distemper and measlesviruses (Gibs et al. 1979). The virus has beenclassified as the 4th member of the Morbillivirus

* Corresponding AuthorE-mail: hassanmai@hotmail.com

RM. MAl, I. SAIDU, O.L. OBASI & M.A. ILIYASU

genus of the paramyxoviridae family (Abdulkadir1989) .

In Nigeria, Whitney et at. (1967) describedthe disease clinically in affected Nigerian goatsunder the name 'Kata". Since its recognition inNigeria, PPR has continued to be a major diseaseof small ruminants causing sporadic outbreaksamong susceptible sheep and goats. During thecourse of an epidemic, the villages are known tolose their entire populations of small ruminants.In Nigeria, over one hundred outbreaks arereported annually and many more go unreported(Nawathe 1984).

Hamdy et at. (1976) considered PPR to theresponsible for losses to the tune of $1.5 million,and by now, with rising inflation, it could well beover $10.0 million annually. PPR therefore, isan economically significant disease consideringthe fact that it affects small ruminants, which arefound practically in almost every household inNigeria. These small ruminants are found tocontribute significantly to be income of ruraldwellers and the protein consumption in thecountry providing about 46% of the quantity ofmeat consumed in the country (Emmanuel1980). This therefore, explains why control ofPPR should be intensified by governments orvoluntary organizations.

Attempts made so far in the control of thedisease in Nigeria is by vaccination using theTissue-Culture-Rinderpest-Vaccine (TCRV) whichhas been found to afford solid protection againstPPR for over one year (Nawathe 1984).

The aim of the study therefore, was todetermine the prevalence of PPR in TarabaState of Nigeria vis-a- vis the control measuresusing TCRV and make possible recommendationson how to control the disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were collected from the VeterinaryDepartment of the State's Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development on PPR outbreaks andvaccination figures in Taraba State for a periodof seven years, spanning from 1992 to 1998.

The vaccine used was Tissue-Culture­Rinderpest-Vaccine (TCRV), a heterelogous liveattenuated viral vaccine prepared from theNational Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI),Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria in which half thelarge ruminant dose was administered to thesmall ruminants which confers a solid immunityagainst PPR for at least one year. Therefore, thevaccination exercise was repeated annually.

The prevalence of the disease and specificallythe relationships between vaccination campaignand outbreak of PPR in the State were determined.

Similarly, monthly variation for the reportedoutbreaks was determined using the Ratio-to­Moving average method or Time Series Analysisin which the data was recorded month by monthfor the entire period of the study i.e from January1992 to December 1992, then January of thenext year, 1993 to December, 1993 to so on upto 1998. A centered average was determined forall and each month, the averages were computedsuch that the data was represented using 12months. The data was therefore summarized tobe represented by 12 months and extraneousvariations were eliminated, such that againsteach month is the seasonal index for that month.It was the seasonal index that was plotted againstthe months (x-axis) to obtain a plot that showsseasonal index of the PPR.

RESULTS

The result showed that the number of outbreaksincreased only from 1993-1995. Thereafter, theoutbreak number was on the decline (Fig. 1).

An increase in the number of animalsvaccinated was also recorded in 1993, 1994 and1997. The period from 1995 to 1998 wascharacterized by a fluctuation in the number ofanimals vaccinated. While the number of animalsvaccinated was high in 1995, it was low in 1996and increased again in 1997 with anotherdecrease in 1998.

The relationship between the vaccinationfigures and the number of outbreak is shown inFig. 1. When the vaccination campaign wasintensified in 1994, the number of outbreakswas low. In 1995, the number of outbreaksincreased as the vaccination figures went down.From 1995 to 1997, the outbreak was incontinuous decline whereas 1998 witnessed aslight increase in the number of outbreaks.

A summary of monthly outbreaks of PPRfrom 1992 to 1998 revealed that most of theoutbreaks occurred in January, March, April andMay (Fig. 2). A similar result was observed usingthe seasonal index (Fig. 3).

DISCUSSION

Results ofvaccination campaigns and the outbreakobserved in this study further strengthened theassertion that intensified efforts towards effective

102 PERTANIKAJ. TROP. AGRIC. SCI. VOL. 27 NO.2, 2004

EFFECTS OF VACCINATION ON THE PREVALENCE OF PPR IN SMALL RUMINANTS IN TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

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PERTANIKAJ. TRap. AGRIC. SCI. VOL. 27 NO.2, 2004 103

H.M. MAl, I. SAIDU, O.L. OBASI & M.A. ILIYASU

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vaccination contributes to lowering PPRoutbreaks which tend to agree with reports byTaylor et al. (1990) and Majiyabe et al. (1994).

A decrease in the number of outbreaks in1994 (Fig. 1) could have been a result of thelaunching of vaccination campaigns against PPRin that year which perhaps was effectively carriedout due to enthusiasm by both farmers and thevaccination campaign personnel. The subsequentincrease in the number of outbreaks in 1995could have been due to lacity on the part of thegovernment on the vaccination campaignprogrammes.

The rhythm of vaccination campaigns kepton declining up to 1998; this may have been dueto non availability of vaccinate their stocks forfear of adverse post-vaccinal reaction, diffcultyin differentiating healthy animals from thoseincubating the disease and poor record keepingwhich will not give the actual situation andinformation on the disease and vaccinationcampaign programme. Such outbreaks couldresult in economic losses in Nigeria to the tuneof over one million naira ( 1,000,000) annually(Lamorde 1980); with the current rise in inflationthe losses could even exceed this figure.

It is possible that outbreaks recorded in theState not have reflected the actual situation of

the State as many cases may to unreported. Themonthly distribution of PPR outbreak showedthat the prevalence of the disease is high duringthe months of January and March whichcorrespond with the harmattan (dry season)period and months of April and May (pre-rainyseason) (Fig. 3). This is in consonance with thereport by Obi (1980). These periods in thecurrent study are very critical for the mallruminants due to scarcity of feed and water.They therefore roam about in search of feedand water and congregate at such few pointsthereby predisposing them to PPR due to thefast spread of the virus.

It was therefore concluded from this study,that TCRV is effective against PPR and outbreakof the disease may be encountered almost allthe year round with the incidence of the diseasebeing higher during the late dry and pre-rainyseasons especially when vaccination exercise isrelaxed. Hence it is essential to employ effectiveand efficient control measures by seeking bothnational and international co-ordination andcommencing the exercise prior to seasonaloutbreak as it is evident that the vaccination isdwindling in Nigeria.

104 PERTANIKAJ. TROP. AGRIC. SCI. VOL. 27 NO.2, 2004

EFFECTS OF VACCINATION ON THE PREVALENCE OF PPR IN SMALL RUMINANTS IN TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

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EMMANUEL, A. 1980. Epidemiology of PPR.Proceddings of the International Workshop, p.3,24-26 September, held at UTA Ibadan,Nigeria.

Gms, E.PJ., W.P. TAYLOR, MJ.P LAWMAN and j.BRYANT. 1979. Classification of peste des petitsruminants as fourth member of GenusMorbilivirus. Intevirology 2: 268-274.

HAMDY, F.M., A.H. DARDIRI, DJ. NDAAKA, S. BREESE,S.S Jr., and E.C. IHEMElANDU. 1976. Etiologyof stomatitis pneumoenteritis complex inNigerian Dwarf Goats. Can. J Compo Med.40: 276-284.

LAMORDE, A.G. 1980. Welcome address. InProceedings of the International Workshop, p. 1­2. held at UTA Ibadan, Nigeria. 24-26th

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MAJIYABE, K.A., D. SHAMAKl and T.K.C. UDEANI.1994. Further studies on Epidemiology ofpeste des petits ruminants (PPR) in Nigeria.The Small Ruminant Res Network Newsletter 29:2-5.

NAWATHE, D.R. and W.P TAYLOR. 1979.Experimental infection of domestic pigs withthe virus peste des petiti ruminants. Trap.Ani. Hlth. Prod. 11: 120-122.

OBI, U. 1980. Results of TCRV vaccination inNigeria. In Proceedings of the InternationalWorkshop, p. 82. held at UTA Ibadan, Nigeria.24-26th September.

TAYLOR, W.P., S. AlBuSSAIDI and T. BARRET. 1990.The epidemiology of peste des petitsruminants in the Sultanate of Oman. VetMicrobiology 22: 341-352.

WHITNEY, j.C., G.R. SCOTT and D.G. HILL. 1967.Preliminary observation on a stomatitis andenteritis of goats in southern Nigeria. BullEpizoot. Dis. Afr. 15: 31-41.

(Received: 25 March 2002)(Accepted: 7June 2004)

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