Lost some goats to a disease with fever, diarrhoea and mouth sores. How to prevent PPR?
4 Answers
Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), also called goat plague, is a viral disease causing high fever, mouth sores, eye and nose discharge, severe diarrhoea and high death rates. The most effective prevention is vaccination with the PPR vaccine, which gives long-lasting protection; India is running a national PPR control and eradication programme, so vaccination is often available free through your Animal Husbandry Department. Also keep new animals in quarantine before mixing them with the flock, maintain clean housing, and isolate sick animals immediately. There is no specific cure once infected, so a vet only gives supportive care. Vaccinate kids and adults as advised, and avoid buying animals from markets during outbreaks. Report sudden deaths to the veterinary department.
After I lost goats to PPR, I now vaccinate the whole flock every year and quarantine any new goat for two weeks. No big losses since then. The government vaccination camp does it for free here.
The biggest risk is the new animal from the market. I once brought home a sick-looking goat cheap and it spread disease to my own. Now I keep any new purchase apart for two weeks and watch it before mixing. Quarantine has saved me more than once.
Do not wait for the camp date if cases are reported nearby. I called the department and got my flock covered ahead of an outbreak in the next village. Timing the vaccination before the disease reaches you is what protects the animals.