Concurrent clinical Peste des Petits Ruminants in goats and Canine distemper in dogs kept in pens in the same building

Abstract

Clinical signs of Canine distemper (CD) in dogs and Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goats occurred in dogs and goats housed in adjacent pens in the same building in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, in South East, Nigeria. The clinical signs and lesions include fever, mucopurulent oculo-nasal discharges, coughing, dyspnoea, diarrhea and high morbidity (100%), and high mortality (72 % for the goats and 77% for the dogs). History of the outbreaks showed that one dog (out of 9) died two days after they were brought into a house that had 11 goats. A few days later, other dogs and goats started manifesting the same clinical signs. CD and PPR are believed to be caused by different viruses though of the same genus and family with the same properties.  Sources of the two infections occurring in the same environment and at same times need to be investigated.