The present study was carried out to know the seroprevalence, molecular characterization and molecular epidemiology of peste des petitis ruminants (PPR) virus. The serum (n=440) and tissue (n=242) samples were collected from sheep and goat population reared in the central and peripheral districts of the Punjab province. The specimens were subjected to RT-PCR for the specific detection of fusion (F) protein genes of PPR virus. The cELISA test was applied to serum samples to know seroprevalence. Overall 51.5 and 46.5% seropositivity was found in sheep and goat, respectively. Seropositivity under different ages 1, 2 and >2years was recorded as 46.5, 60.5 and 37.8%, respectively. Species and sex variation of seropositivity was recorded at 60.3 and 32.8% in buck and doe, respectively and 64.8 and 50.7% in ewes and ram, respectively. Sixty percent goat and 55.6% sheep population in Faisalabad district was seropositive for PPR virus, followed by the Bhakkar district where PPR virus seropositivity was 55.1% in sheep and 53.5% in goat. Specimen samples recovered from outbreak cases showed 372bp RT-PCR product indicating the presence of F specific protein region of PPR virus. Maximum predilection for PPR virus was lymph nodes (87.5%) in sheep as well as in goats followed by spleen (62.5%), nasal swabs (59.1%) and blood (51.4%). The phylogenetic analysis showed similar percentages and relationship with already reported data of this region. The present study reports that PPR virus is affecting the sheep and goat of less than two years of age with high frequency. The prevalent PPR virus is homologous with most of the reported PPR viruses from the Asian outbreaks.

Key words: c-ELISA, Pakistan, Peste des petits ruminants, Punjab, RT-PCR