Assessment of the risk of penetration and distribution of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria

Peste des petits ruminants /PPR/ is an acute viral disease of small ruminants characterized by fever, oculo-nasal discharges, stomatitis, diarrhea and pneumonia with foul offensive breath. Because of the respiratory signs, PPR can be confused with contagious caprine pleuropneumonia /CCPP/ or pasteurellosis. In many cases, pasteurellosis is a secondary infection of PPR, a consequence of the immunosuppression that is induced by the PPR virus /PPRV/. PPRV is transmitted mainly by aerosols between animals living in close contact. Infected animals present clinical signs similar to those historically seen with rinderpest in cattle, although the two diseases are caused by distinct species. Fairly widespread PPR in the European part of Turkey for the period 2005 - 2014 year, including the outbreaks in areas bordering Bulgaria Kirklareli and Edirne, warrants unfavorable prognosis for our country. It is possible in the coming months and years to settle individual cases of this disease on the border with Turkey. The history of infectious diseases’ penetrating in Bulgaria shows that what is happening in Turkey, sooner or later happens in our country / FMD, Sheep pox, Bluetongue /. There are cases when passed in Bulgaria cloven-hoofed animals are assigned and this will be the most likely route of penetration of this disease. Analysis of data on the number and distribution by regions of susceptible to PPR animals in Bulgaria shows that in areas that have land borders with Turkey: Burgas, Haskovo and Yambol grown 18.8 % of the total herd of sheep in Bulgaria /330 844 heads / and 15.7% of the total herd of goats / 71 245 heads /. Relatively low percentage of sheep flocks categorized within the border areas: 12.7% for sheep herds or 2 314 sheep herds, and 9.7% for goats herds or 833 herds goats.BG; bg; EFSAfocalpoint@mzh.government.b