Correlation of humoral immune response with clinical presentation, pulmonary lesions and mortality patterns of goats experimentally infected with peste des petits ruminants virus

The patterns of humoral immune response, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the development of clinical signs, pulmonary lesions and mortality patterns were studied in goats experimentally infected with peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) or Kata virus. It was possible to classify the animals into high and low responders according to the pattern of humoral immune response. The high responders had a prolonged, chronic infection characterized by a giant cell pneumonia which was sometimes complicated by bronchopneumonia. Such animals survived beyond 1 month. The low immune responders had a subacute or acute clinical presentation. In the former case, the animals developed an uncomplicated giant cell pneumonia and died within 1 month of infection. Those with the acute symptoms developed pulmonary congestion and oedema and succumbed to the infection in 1 week. The clinical and pathological response of goats to PPRV infection, and ultimately the outcome of the infection correlated well with the ability of the goats to mount specific antibodies to PPRV.