Changes

== Diagnosis ==

== Diagnosis ==

History, signalment and clinical signs may lead to a presumptive diagnosis of this disease in countries where it is endemic.

History, signalment and clinical signs may lead to a presumptive diagnosis of this disease in countries where it is endemic. Few other diseases cause oral stomatitis and diarrhoea in sheep.

 

Other conditions which need to be eliminated as differentials are ([[rinderpest]] in small ruminants), [[Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia|contagious caprine pleuropneumonia]], [[bluetongue]], pasteurellosis, [[Orf|contagious ecthyma]], [[Foot and Mouth Disease|foot-and-mouth disease]], [[heartwater]], [[Coccidiosis - Sheep|coccidiosis]] and mineral poisoning.  

Rinderpest virus can cause disease in small ruminants, but where RP exists as a risk to small ruminants, disease in cattle would be expected. Rinderpest has now been eradicated worldwide.  

Rinderpest virus can cause disease in small ruminants, but where RP exists as a risk to small ruminants, disease in cattle would be expected. Rinderpest has now been eradicated worldwide.  

PPRV is present at a high concentration in secretions and tissue samples in the '''early stages of the disease''', but rapidly becomes difficult to detect after development of antibody responses. Collection from animals which have a serous ocular-nasal discharge and fever is preferable. '''Gum debris, conjunctival swabs, clotted blood and whole blood and tissues from post mortem''' are all valuable.  

PPRV is present at a high concentration in secretions and tissue samples in the '''early stages of the disease''', but rapidly becomes difficult to detect after development of antibody responses. Collection from animals which have a serous ocular-nasal discharge and fever is preferable. '''Gum debris, conjunctival swabs, clotted blood and whole blood and tissues from post mortem''' are all valuable. PCR is also possible from blood with coagulant.

 

From the necropsy examination of two to three animals, lymph nodes, especially the mesenteric and bronchial nodes, lungs, spleen and intestinal mucosae should also be collected aseptically, chilled on ice and transported under refrigeration. Fragments of organs collected for histopathology are placed in 10% formalin.

 

 

Histopathology combined with '''immunohistochemical staining (e.g. immunoperoxidase)''' is a useful procedure because it is performed on formalin-fixed material and can discriminate between PPR and rinderpest when performed with specific monoclonal antibodies. Virus antigens can also be detected by '''immunocapture [[ELISA testing|ELISA]]'''.  

Antigen-capture [[ELISA testing|ELISA]] is sensitive and specific, using monoclonal antibodies to give a result with PPR virus and enabling differentiation from rinderpest but taking longer than counter-immuno-electrophoresis (CIEP).

Detection of virus antigen can then performed by [[Immunodiffusion|'''agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGIDT)''']] or Counter Immuno-Electrophoresis (CIEP) which are relatively simple, fast and cheap processes. CIEP is the fastest and easiest, providing results in 2hours. These are extremely useful as initial tests, but do not discriminate between PPR and rinderpest viruses and further tests are needed to do this. Antigen-capture [[ELISA testing|ELISA]] is sensitive and specific and also enables differentiation from rinderpest but taking longer than counter-immuno-electrophoresis (CIEP).

'''Antibodies''' are strongly induced by infection, and become detectable from the '''diarrhoeic stage onwards'''.  

'''Antibodies''' are strongly induced by infection, and become detectable from the '''diarrhoeic stage onwards''' by [[ELISA testing|ELISA]].  

The prescribed test for international trade (that which is accepted as a basis for the veterinary certification of animals as having evidence of presence or absence of antibodies) is '''Virus Neutralisation'''.<ref> OIE (2000) '''The Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines. '''Paris, France: ''Office International Des Epizooties''</ref> There is however cross-neutralisation between antibodies to PPR and RPV. The OIE considers that a serum is said to be positive for PPR when the neutralisation titre is at least '''two-fold higher for PPR than for rinderpest'''.

From the necropsy examination of two to three animals, lymph nodes, especially the mesenteric and bronchial nodes, lungs, spleen and intestinal mucosae should also be collected aseptically, chilled on ice and transported under refrigeration. Fragments of organs collected for histopathology are placed in 10% formalin. Histopathology combined with '''immunohistochemical staining (e.g. immunoperoxidase)''' is then performed with focus on detection of multinucleated giant cells.

== Treatment ==

== Treatment ==