Background and Aim: The peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious disease of small ruminants which negatively affects animal production and the socioeconomic status of farmers. Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) encodes eight proteins, with the viral fusion protein (F) playing a role in virus virulence and stimulating an effective protective immune response. This study aimed to isolate and complete the identification of PPRV circulating in goats in different Egyptian governorates and perform molecular characterization of the PPRV F gene. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from unvaccinated animals with clinical signs suggestive of PPR. A total of 256 sera were tested for the detection of PPRV antibodies using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) kit, while 214 samples of blood buffy coat preparation, animal swabs (nasal, ocular, and saliva), and fecal and tissue samples were tested for the detection of the PPRV antigen using an antigen-capture ELISA kit. Molecular diagnosis, gene cloning, blast analysis, and phylogenetic analysis were performed for the molecular characterization of PPRV. Results: The seroprevalence results of PPRV antibodies in the tested sera showed a total of 67.9% positive samples. The rates of PPR antigen recorded by the antigen-capture ELISA in the swabs (nasal and ocular) and tissue samples were 44.3%, 46.8%, and 43.5%, respectively, with saliva swabs having the highest rate of PPRV positivity (76.4%) and fecal samples having the lowest (33.3%). Molecular characterization of the PPRV Vero cell culture revealed that the circulating PPRV strain belongs to the IV lineage. Blast analysis of the PPRV F gene showed 96.7% identity with the PPRV strain Egypt-2014 fusion protein (F) gene, KT006589.1, differing by 43 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the emerging PPRV belongs to the IV lineage among small ruminant animals. The findings also indicate the need for an innovative strategy to control and eliminate this disease based on a regularly administered and effective vaccine, a test to distinguish between infected and vaccinated animals, and the need for further study on the protein structure and PPRV F gene expression, which should help us to understand the molecular evolution of the virus and control and eliminate PPR disease.

Aim: In this study, laboratory scoping on the viruses that cause peste des petits ruminants (PPR), bluetongue (BT), and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was performed to evaluate the current status of animals illegally introduced into Egypt. This study aims to help control these infectious illnesses and tries to prevent the introduction of other strains of these three viruses to Egypt, as these illnesses spread quickly if not controlled. Materials and Methods: In the year 2018, 62 serum samples were collected and serologically tested through competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) kits to detect antibodies against PPR, BT, and FMD, which are three important transboundary infectious illnesses. Results: The results indicated that 60 out of 62 serum samples were positive for PPR antibodies (96.7%), 31 out of 62 were positive for FMD antibodies (50%), and 59 out of 62 serum samples were positive for BT antibodies (95%). Conclusion: This study revealed that PPR, FMD, and BT can be introduced into Egypt through the illegal introduction of sheep and goat from neighboring countries. Laboratory diagnostic abilities should be improved for the early detection and control of these illnesses.

P ESTE des petits ruminants (PPR) is an intense and extremely contagious disease with high mortality in small ruminants resulting inconsiderable socio-economic impact in developing countries. Our study was established during the routine follow up in El-Giza governorate during 2019. A total number of 45 swabs, 40 sera samples and 15 post-mortem epithelial tissues were collected from sheep showing clinical signs suggestive for PPR.PPRVdetection was investigated using serological, pathological and RT-PCRdiagnosis tests.Serologically, PPRV antigens detection were 86%, 93.3%, 66.63% and 73.3% in the nasal, ocular, faecal swabs and different tissues samples, respectively. While, PPRV antibodies detection were 95% in the collected sera samples.Histopathologically, the lung showed severe bronchiectasis and syncytium formation with high accumulation of inflammatory cells. The liver exhibited necrosis with severe portal and central hypertension filled with inflammatory cells.The kidneys revealed severe atrophied glomeruli with destructed renal glomerular capillaries, hemorrhage in the glomeruli and renal tubules with thrombosis of blood vessels. Spleen revealed proliferation of central arterioles with periarteriolar proliferation of connective tissues and hypercellular red pulp with hemorrhage. The mouth commissures suffering from nodules and ulceration which exhibited microscopically multiple vesicles in the epidermis and dissociation of the epidermal and dermal layers filled with inflammatory cells and eosinophils with syncytium formation. A 448 bp band by RT-PCRwas obtained from all nasal and ocular samples, while 2 lung samples were negative for this test.Therefore, the results proved the presence of the disease in El-Giza governorate.

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