Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia in Some Provinces of Iran: 2017-2018

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), a highly contagious mycoplasmal disease, poses a remarkable threat to goat populations due to its rapid spread. Despite the existence of CCPP cases in Iran, less research has been conducted on this disease. To address this knowledge gap, the present cross-sectional study focused on the report and investigation of CCPP cases along with clinical signs and necropsy findings of this disease in Tehran, Kermanshah, and Yazd provinces. CCPP outbreak was investigated among 4,400 goats in six breeding farms. The study encompassed both male and female goats of imported breeds, such as Alpine (1500), Saanen (1700), and Murcia Granada (1200), across various age groups. Clinical signs of the infected animals were carefully observed and recorded, and detailed necropsy observations were documented. Multiple samples were collected for PCR to confirm CCPP, including nasal swabs (35), pleural fluid (65), and lung tissue (83). A total of 516 goats (11.7%) were diagnosed with CCPP, and among them, 287 goats (6.5%) unfortunately succumbed to the disease. The morbidity rates in Tehran, Kermanshah, and Yazd provinces were 11.7%, 12.7%, and 10.5%, respectively, while the corresponding mortality rates were 6.5%, 7.2%, and 5.7%. The main clinical signs included fever (89%), anorexia (68%), nasal discharge (78%), difficulty in breathing (54%), painful coughing (96%), and grunting (84%). During necropsy examinations, lung consolidation and hepatization (98.3%), the presence of extensive straw-colored serous fluid and fibrinous exudate on the pleural surface (94%), alveolar cellular exudate (90.6%), and adhesion of lungs (46%) were the primary post-mortem signs observed. Clinical and necropsy findings were all confirmatory of CCPP (100%). The disease agent's existence was verified in 183 cases (63.7%) based on PCR results. The scarcity of clinical and well-documented studies on CCPP disease in Iran is apparent. However, the findings of this study contribute uniquely to expanding our knowledge of CCPP and raising awareness about its presence among Iranian goats. The study strongly recommends including vaccination as an essential measure for preventing CCPP.