Barman Nagendra Nath, Bharali Arpita, Bora Durlav Prasad, Dutta Biswajit, Bora Mousumi, Gogoi Sophia M, Sharma Panchami, Sarma Sankar, Kakati Parikshit, Mariswamy Tejas, Choudhury Ankita, Buragohain Lukumoni
College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati 781022, Assam, India.
College of Veterinary Science, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana 141004, Punjab, India.
Viruses. 2024 Nov 25;16(12):1829. doi: 10.3390/v16121829.
The present study aimed to investigate the episodes of per-acute mortality due to peste des petits ruminants (PPR) that resulted in the death of 30 animals of different species of cervids, namely, barking deer, four-horned antelope, hog deer, thamin, and mouse deer in the State Zoo of Assam, a northeastern state of India. The affected animals showed no to limited clinical signs. However, the necropsy and histopathological findings were highly suggestive of PPR virus (PPRV) infection observed in domestic small ruminants. Representative tissue samples were screened for the presence of PPRV along with blue tongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) using RT-PCR or RT-qPCR and were found to be positive for PPRV. Considering the sudden outbreak of PPR in captive cervids, we sought to determine the role of domestic goats as the potential spillover host. To verify that, archived tissue samples of domestic goats collected during PPRV outbreaks in nearby localities and slaughtered goats used as meat for Carnivorous animals in the State Zoo were also screened and found to be positive for PPRV in RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis based on the Nucleocapsid (N) protein gene of PPRV from infected cervids, domestic goats, and goat meat revealed the virus to be of Lineage IV origin. Our findings provide evidence of probable spillover of PPRV from domestic goats to captive endangered cervids and circulation of Lineage IV PPRV strains among the small-ruminant population of this region.
本研究旨在调查印度东北部阿萨姆邦州立动物园中因小反刍兽疫（PPR）导致30只不同种类鹿科动物死亡的急性死亡事件，这些鹿科动物包括赤麂、四角羚、豚鹿、泽鹿和鼷鹿。受影响的动物表现出无临床症状或有限的临床症状。然而，尸检和组织病理学检查结果高度提示在家养小反刍动物中观察到的PPR病毒（PPRV）感染。使用RT-PCR或RT-qPCR对代表性组织样本进行PPRV以及蓝舌病毒（BTV）和流行性出血病病毒（EHDV）的筛查，发现PPRV呈阳性。考虑到圈养鹿科动物中PPR的突然爆发，我们试图确定家养山羊作为潜在溢出宿主的作用。为了验证这一点，还对在附近地区PPRV疫情期间收集的家养山羊存档组织样本以及州立动物园中用作食肉动物肉类的屠宰山羊进行了筛查，RT-PCR结果显示PPRV呈阳性。基于感染鹿科动物、家养山羊和山羊肉中PPRV核衣壳（N）蛋白基因的系统发育分析表明该病毒起源于第四谱系。我们的研究结果提供了证据，证明PPRV可能从家养山羊溢出到圈养的濒危鹿科动物，以及第四谱系PPRV毒株在该地区小反刍动物群体中的传播。
