Sero-epidemiology and Risk Factors Associated with Peste Des Petits Ruminants Virus Infection in Sheep and Goats in Some North-Eastern States of Nigeria
Abstract
Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats that causes substantial economic losses and threatens food security and rural livelihoods in endemic countries such as Nigeria. Reliable epidemiological data are essential for designing effective control strategies and supporting the global PPR eradication program. In this study, seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus (PPRV) were investigated in unvaccinated sheep and goats sampled from selected states in North-Eastern Nigeria. A total of 1,647 serum samples were collected from sheep (n=720) and goats (n=927) in Borno, Bauchi and Gombe states in May 2024 - February 2025. The sera were tested for the presence of antibodies against PPR using ID Screen competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. The overall seroprevalence to PPR was recorded as 55.3% (n=910/1,647), with state-specific seroprevalence of 63.0% in Borno, 57.7% in Bauchi, and 45.0% in Gombe. A total of 11 potential risk factors were evaluated using a structured questionnaire, of which 10 were found to be significantly associated with PPR seroprevalence (p≤0.05). Among the sampled LGAs, Jere, located in Borno Central Senatorial District, recorded the highest seroprevalence (66.9%) of PPR, followed by Maiduguri (65.0%) in the same agro-ecology. The lowest seroprevalence was observed in Gombe LGA (31.0%). PPR seroprevalence was higher in animals owned by pastoralists, animals not housed, females, and Yankasa breed of sheep, as well as the West African Dwarf breed of goats. Furthermore, PPR seroprevalence was significantly higher during the dry (Harmattan) season compared with the wet season. The 10 risk factors found to be associated with PPR seroprevalence were further analyzed multivariately by logistic regression, and finally 5 of them (states, localities, husbandry system, sex and age) were found to be associated with PPR seroprevalence (p≤0.05).