East Asia:
China: As per retrospective analysis of 2014, PPR infection
caused extensive agricultural losses across China. In 2007, PPRV was
detected for the first time in the Ngari region of southwestern Tibet
(Wang et al., 2009). This emergence was thought to have arisen through
the circulation of mild forms of PPRV infection and the unfamiliarity of
agricultural workers and professionals (e.g., veterinarians, farmers,
livestock owners) with the disease and the inability to differentiate
between mild forms of PPRV infections and other diseases of small
ruminants. PPRV was controlled by using stamping-out procedures, animal
movement control, and increased screening of herds. The disease was
controlled without the use of vaccines in 2008 while vaccination was
used in 2010 (ProMed China., 2014).
Six years passed after the first reports of PPR in Tibet of China before
the virus was detected in Xinjiang, China’s largest administrative
division, in December 2013. Xinjiang, an area of 1.6 million
km2, borders Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia and Tajikistan, several of which
have reported PPRV infection. Within 2 months, PPRV had caused 3
outbreaks with rates of illness (and death) of 17% (2%), 58% (11%),
and 79% (19%), respectively. Measures to contain these outbreaks were
implemented as in 2007; however, during April and May 2014, the number
of PPRV outbreaks increased sharply across much of China, including in
Anhui, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and
Zhejiang Provinces. The origin of these outbreaks remains undefined;
however, the ability of the virus to circulate causing mild clinical
disease and its presence in numerous neighboring countries suggest
several possibilities regarding the source of disease, including
potentially spread from the original outbreaks in China. A study was
conducted to investigate the epidemic characteristics of PPR outbreaks
in China from 2013 to 2018. A total of 41,876 PPR outbreaks were
recorded in small ruminant populations in PR China during that period.
Data from February to June 2018 were used to study new developments in
the PPR epidemic in China. Spatio-temporal clusters and temporal
distribution patterns were studied based on PPR notifications. In this
study it was investigated that observed patterns of seasonality were
characterized by peaks in April of 2014. Spatio-temporal clusters
occurred in Yunnan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Heilongjiang province and Chongqing
municipality. Hunan province reported PPR occurrences every year from
2014 to June 2018. Yunnan, Jiangsu and Anhui province have 56, 33 and 30
epidemic locations, respectively. PPR infections were first reported as
the cause of death for 19 wild bharals in Qinghai province in 2018. All
of this suggests that domestic trading of sheep and goats may be closely
related to the spread of PPR. Prophylactic immunization in suspected
animal populations or areas is recommended for the control of PPR and
wild small ruminants should be monitored. It is concluded that to
provide improved knowledge about PPR dynamics in PR China, which could
be helpful in designing more effective prevention strategies. Similarly,
the threat of further spread from China to neighboring countries cannot
be ignored (Gao et al., 2019).