For the first time, complete genome sequences of four lineage III peste des petits ruminants (PPR) viruses (Oman 1983, United Arab Emirates 1986, Ethiopia 1994, and Uganda 2012) originated from the Middle East and East Africa are reported here. The availability of complete genome sequences from all four lineages (I to IV) of the PPR virus (PPRV) would greatly help in a comprehensive understanding of the molecular evolution and emergence of PPRV.

Since its first report in 1942, peste-des-petits-ruminants virus (PPRV) has caused several epidemics in a wide range of susceptible hosts around the world. In the last 30 years, the evidence of natural and experimental infections and virus isolation were reported from novel but unusual hosts such as camel, cattle, buffalo, dogs, Asiatic lion and pigs. In addition, PPRV in a potential vector, biting midges (Culicoides imicola), has been reported. Either presented as clinical and/or subclinical infections, the presence of the virus in an extended range of susceptible hosts highlights the cross-species transmission and supports the hypothesis of an endemic circulation of PPRV among susceptible hosts. However, the potential role of large ruminants, camels and unusual hosts for PPRV epidemiology is still obscure. Therefore, there is a need for molecular and epidemiological investigations of the disease among usual and unusual hosts to achieve the goals of disease control and eradication programmes initiated by national and international organisations, such as the FAO and OIE. This review is the first to summarise the scattered data on PPR in large ruminants, camels and unusual hosts to obtain the global scientific communities’ attention for further research on epidemiological aspects, not only in its native hosts, but also in large ruminants, camels and other unusual hosts.

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis has continued to be a serious global health threat defined by complexity as well as higher morbidity and mortality wherever it occurs, Zambia included. However, the paucity of information on drug-susceptibility patterns of both first-line and second-line anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) drugs, including the new and repurposed drugs used in the management of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Zambia, was the major thrust for conducting this study. Methods: A total of 132 bacteriologically confirmed TB isolates were collected from patients with pulmonary TB during the period from April 2020 to December 2021 in Southern and Eastern Provinces of Zambia. Drug-resistance profiles were determined according to four first-line and five second-line anti-TB drugs. Standard mycobacteriological methods were used to isolate and determine phenotypic drug susceptibility. Data on the participants’ social–demographic characteristics were obtained using a pre-test checklist. Results: Overall, the prevalence of resistance to one or more anti-TB drugs was 23.5% (31/132, 95% CI: 16.5–31.6%). A total of 9.8% (13/132, 95% CI: 5.3–16.2%) of the patients had multidrug-resistant TB and 1.2% were new cases, while 25.5% had a history of being previously treated for TB. Among those with mono-resistant TB strains, isoniazid (INH) resistance was the highest at 9.8% (13/132, 95% CI: 5.3–16.2%). Two (2/31) (6.5%) XDR-TB and one (1/31) (3.2%) pre-XDR-TB cases were identified among the MDR-TB patients. Previously treated patients were 40 times more likely (OR; 40.3, 95% CI: 11.1–146.5%) to have drug-resistant TB than those who had no history of being treated for TB. Conclusion: This study has established a high rate of multidrug-resistant TB and has further identified both pre-XDR- and XDR-TB. There is a need to intensify surveillance of MDR- and XDR-TB to inform future guidelines for effective treatment and monitoring.

Introduction: Livestock husbandry is critical for food security and poverty reduction in a low-income country like Tanzania. Infectious disease is one of the major constraints reducing the productivity in this sector. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is one of the most important diseases affecting small ruminants, but other infectious diseases may also be present. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for exposure to PPR, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), bluetongue (BT), and bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) in sheep and goats in Tanzania. Methods: Serum samples were collected in 2014 and 2015, and analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect antibodies to the five pathogens. Results and discussion: This is the first description of seroprevalence of FMD and BT among small ruminants in Tanzania. Risk factor analysis identified sex (female) (OR for 2014: PPR: 2.49, CCPP: 3.11, FMD: 2.98, BT: 12.4, OR for 2015: PPR: 14.1, CCPP: 1.10, FMD: 2.67, BT: 1.90, BVD: 4.73) and increasing age (>2 years) (OR for 2014: PPR: 14.9, CCPP: 2.34, FMD: 7.52, BT: 126, OR for 2015: PPR: 8.13, CCPP: 1.11, FMD: 2.98, BT: 7.83, BVD: 4.74) as risk factors for exposure to these diseases.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute viral disease of small ruminants. The disease was first reported in Tanzania in 2008 when it was confined to the Northern Zone districts bordering Kenya. The present study was carried out to confirm the presence of PPR virus (PPRV) in Tanzania and to establish their phylogenetic relationships. Samples (oculonasal swabs, tissues and whole blood) were obtained from live goats with clinical presentation suggestive of PPR and goats that died naturally in Ngorongoro (Northern Tanzania) and Mvomero (Eastern Tanzania) districts. The clinical signs observed in goats suspected with PPR included fever, dullness, diarrhea, lacrimation, matting of eye lids, purulent oculonasal discharges, cutaneous nodules, erosions on the soft palate and gums and labored breathing. Post mortem findings included pneumonia, congestion of the intestines, and hemorrhages in lymph nodes associated with the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. PPRV was detected in 21 out of 71 tested animals using primers targeting the nucleoprotein (N) gene. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the N gene, indicated that PPRV obtained from Northern and Eastern Tanzania clustered with PPRV strains of Lineage III, together with PPRV from Sudan and Ethiopia. The findings of this study indicate that there are active PPRV infections in Northern and Eastern Tanzania, suggesting risks for potential spread of PPR in the rest of Tanzania.