February 20, 2014

China confirms outbreak of goat plague

China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) confirmed outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as goat plague in north-western Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

On February 13, a village in Yanchi County in Wuzhong City of Ningxia reported that 116 goats had showed suspected symptoms of PPR or goat plague, and that 32 of them had died. The national exotic animal disease research centre confirmed that the epidemic was PPR.

Local authorities have sealed off and sterilised the infected areas, where the infected chickens, goats and goats from the same herds have been culled and safely disposed of to prevent the disease from spreading, said the MOA.

PPR, or ovine rinderpest, is a contagious disease mainly affecting goats and sheep. The virus causes fever, lesions, laboured breathing and diarrhoea in infected animals.