AUTHOR=Tounkara Kadidia , Kwiatek Olivier , Niang Mamadou , Abou Kounta Sidibe Cheik , Sery Amadou , Dakouo Martin , Salami Habib , Lo Modou Moustapha , Ba Aminata , Diop Mariame , El Mamy Ahmed Bezeid , El Arbi Ahmed Salem , Barry Yahya , Isselmou Ekaterina , Habiboullah Habiboullah , Lella Abdellahi Salem , Doumbia Baba , Gueya Mohamed Baba , Savadogo Joseph , Ouattara Lassina , Minougou Germaine , Libeau Geneviève , Bataille Arnaud TITLE=Genetic Evidence for Transboundary Circulation of Peste Des Petits Ruminants Across West Africa JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science VOLUME=6 YEAR=2019 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2019.00275 DOI=10.3389/fvets.2019.00275 ISSN=2297-1769 ABSTRACT=

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease affecting predominantly small ruminants. Due to its transboundary nature, regional coordination of control strategies will be key to the success of the on-going PPR eradication campaign. Here, we aimed at exploring the extent of transboundary movement of PPR in West Africa using phylogenetic analyses based on partial viral gene sequences. We collected samples and obtained partial nucleoprotein gene sequence from PPR-infected small ruminants across countries within West Africa. This new sequence data was combined with publically available data from the region to perform phylogenetic analyses. A total of fifty-five sequences were obtained in a region still poorly sampled. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the majority of virus sequences obtained in this study were placed within genetic clusters regrouping samples from multiple West African countries. Some of these clusters contained samples from countries sharing borders. In other cases, clusters grouped samples from very distant countries. Our results suggest extensive and recurrent transboundary movements of PPR within West Africa, supporting the need for a regional coordinated strategy for PPR surveillance and control in the region. Simple phylogenetic analyses based on readily available data can provide information on PPR transboundary dynamics and, therefore, could contribute to improve control strategies. On-going and future projects dedicated to PPR should include extensive genetic characterization and phylogenetic analyses of circulating viral strains in their effort to support the campaign for global eradication of the disease.