Outbreak of foot and mouth disease and peste des petits ruminants in sheep flock imported for immediate slaughter in Riyadh.

AIM: To detect and identify the causative agent or agents of the following clinical symptoms which were fever, lack of appetite, salivation, vesiculation, erosions of the buccal mucosa, nose, and feet. The signs vary from mild to severe. The mortality rate of the disease is high. The morbidity rate reaches up to 100%. Sheep also show bloody diarrhea and rapid respiration. Sheep flock resident in El-Kharje Governorate.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 serum samples and 50 buffy coat samples were collected from Marino sheep flock suffered from high mortalities, fever, lameness, diarrhea, stomatitis, and respiratory distress. PrioCHECK(®) foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) nonstructural (NS) (marketable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] kit) was used for revealing of the NS antibodies and liquid phase blocking enzyme immunoassay (LPBE) for identifying the FMD serotype and examined by competitive ELISA (cELISA) for detection of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) antibodies. The buffy coat samples were examined by immunocapture ELISA (Ic ELISA) for detection of PPR antigen.

RESULTS: Using PrioCHECK(®) FMDV NS: Commercial ELISA kit: 38/50 (76%) of the serum samples were positive for the presence of FMD NS viral proteins. In addition, using LPBE the positive samples were identified as FMD serotype O. Examination of the serum sample by cELISA for detection of PPR antibodies gave positive results in 32/50 (64%). While the Ic ELISA identified 32 (64%) positive reactors for PPR antigen.

CONCLUSION: This study reflected high susceptibility of the imported sheep flocks to the infection with FMD and PPR viruses, which are endemic in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Hence, the imported flocks that prepared for slaughter must be vaccinated with the used vaccine in KSA in the quarantine for the control of FMD especially when importation occurs from counters that are free from these diseases.