PPR and Pasteurellosis in Sheep and Goats

Peste des petits ruminants is a viral disease as serious for sheep and goats as rinderpest was for cattle, and it is now present in many Egyptian governorates. It starts with sudden fever and discharge from nose and eyes, then necrotic mouth ulcers and watery foul diarrhoea, and ends in pneumonia with losses up to 70 percent in young animals. Beside it, bacterial pasteurellosis exploits stress, transport and heat to kill entire groups within days.

Telling the two diseases apart

PPR is caused by a paramyxovirus that spreads by direct contact, droplets and secretions, with no essential insect vector. Pasteurellosis is caused by Pasteurella or Mannheimia bacteria that live normally in the mouth and nose of healthy animals but explode when defences fall because of transport, cold, heat or poor nutrition. The first spreads as an epidemic wave; the second appears as scattered cases after stress.

Flocks that buy animals at market without quarantine are most exposed, as are crowded, poorly ventilated pens. In Egypt seasonal movement of shepherds and mixing at sale points plays a major role in spreading the virus. Goats are more susceptible than sheep to some strains, and young stock are the first victims because their immunity is incomplete.

Signs that should stop you in your tracks

In PPR: fever of 40 to 41 degrees Celsius, purulent nasal discharge that crusts on the nose, red watering eyes, then grey ulcers on lips, gums and hard palate causing foul breath and refusal to suck. Watery yellow or bloody diarrhoea follows, with rapid dehydration and pneumonia shown by laboured breathing and cough. Young animals die quickly, sometimes within four days.

In pasteurellosis: sudden death without warning, or fever with swelling of the neck and head, difficult breathing, frothy nasal discharge and sometimes nervous signs. Post-mortem shows haemorrhagic inflammation of lungs, gut and lymph nodes. The two pictures overlap so much that judging by eye is dangerous, and diagnosis needs a laboratory and a veterinarian before any group treatment begins.

Vaccination and quarantine

The PPR vaccine is live attenuated and gives immunity for at least a year; lambs and kids are vaccinated from three months of age, then annually before the risk season. Egypt produces the vaccine locally and veterinary units deliver it in campaigns, and the cold chain must be respected from fridge to field because heat destroys potency. Pasteurella vaccine is used in flocks with a history of the disease or before transport and stress.

A three-week quarantine for new animals is the most important step after vaccination, and it must be in a separate place with dedicated workers and equipment. Never mix purchased animals with the flock on the same day, however healthy they look, because the virus incubates for days before signs appear. Recording vaccine batch and date helps the veterinarian diagnose a future wave quickly.

Supportive care and when to call the vet

There is no specific antiviral treatment, so care is supportive: isolate the sick animal, give fluids and electrolytes for dehydration, offer soft feed that is easy to swallow, clean the mouth with a diluted antiseptic under veterinary supervision, and use a fever reducer when needed. Antibiotics are used only when secondary bacterial infection such as pasteurellosis is suspected, chosen by the vet rather than at random, with meat and milk withdrawal respected.

Daily prevention means less crowding, ventilated pens, clean water and balanced feeding with berseem, straw and mineral salts. Call the vet at once if more than two animals die in a week, or if mouth ulcers appear with diarrhoea. Immune support with mineral and vitamin supplements from our livestock vitamins helps during recovery, and isolation supplies are available under livestock and sheep and medical supplies.

• Quarantine every new animal for three weeks in a separate place.
• Vaccinate lambs and kids from three months of age and record the date.
• Keep vaccine refrigerated and carry it to the field in a cold box.
• Isolate sick animals at once with dedicated tools and workers.
• Provide fluids and oral rehydration to affected animals.
• Call the veterinarian when deaths repeat or mouth ulcers appear.

Conclusion

PPR and pasteurellosis are defeated by vaccination and quarantine, not random antibiotics. A flock vaccinated on time and protected from mixing keeps producing, while waiting for ulcers to appear can cost most of the herd.

This article is general guidance and is not a substitute for examining your animal by a licensed veterinarian. In emergencies, contact your vet immediately.