Estimation of economic losses due to Peste de Petits Ruminants in small ruminants in India

Aim: To develop a simple mathematical model to assess the losses due to peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in small ruminants in India. Materials and Methods: The study was based on cases and deaths in goats and sheep due to PPR from the average combined data on ovine/caprine as published by Government of India for the last 5 years (2008-2012). All possible direct and indirect losses due to the disease, viz. mortality losses, losses due to direct reduction in milk/wool yield, losses due to reproduction failure, body weight losses, treatment costs and opportunity costs, were considered to provide estimate of annual economic losses due to PPR in sheep and goats in India. Based on cases and deaths as reported in sample survey studies, the annual economic loss was also estimated. Results: On the basis of data reported by Government of India, the study has shown average annual economic loss of Rs. 167.83 lacs, of which Rs. 125.67 lacs and Rs. 42.16 lacs respectively are due to the incidence of the disease in goats and sheep. Morbidity losses constituted the greater share of the total loss in both goats and sheep (56.99% and 61.34%, respectively). Among different components of morbidity loss, direct body weight loss was the most significant in both goats and sheep. Based on cases and deaths as reported in sample survey studies, the estimated annual economic loss due to PPR in goats and sheep is Rs. 8895.12 crores, of which Rs. 5477.48 and Rs. 3417.64 crores respectively are due to the disease in goats and sheep. Conclusion: The low economic losses as reported based on Government of India data points towards underreporting of cases and deaths due to the disease. The study thus revealed a significant loss due to PPR in small ruminants on a large scale.


Introduction
disease may affect up to 100% of animals in the flock in an outbreak with deaths between 20% to 90% [4].The Sheep and goats are one of the major livestock disease is proving to be costly and is considered one of species reared by many of the world's poor.Goats, 'the the most important health constraints in rearing of cattle of the poor', and sheep are reared as sources not small ruminants [5].In a study based on official only for milk, wool and meat for family consumption Government of India reports covering a period of 15 but also as a source of income that could be easily years (1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005), it was reported that PPR accounted mobilized for paying some of the household expendifor maximum incidence (32.3%) and deaths (41.5%) tures specially in lean times.In addition to this important due to all diseases in goats in India [6].Apart from loss economic role, sheep and goats have significant role in on account of mortality, PPR causes severe morbidity socio-cultural activities such as funerals, dowries, loss in terms of production loss, abortion, cost of festivals and holidays, etc.However, sheep and goat controlling the disease and restriction in local trade and populations are threatened by number of diseases export [7].The World Organization for Animal Health which have been considered as major constraint in small has identified PPR as a notifiable and economically ruminant development in recent years.
important transboundary viral disease of sheep and Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute goats associated with high morbidity and mortality [5].contagious disease affecting goats and sheep popu-Presently, PPR outbreaks are reported regularly and the lation in the Indian subcontinent [1].PPR is characteridisease is considered to be endemic throughout India zed by high fever, anorexia, necrosis and ulceration of [8].mucous membrane, inflammation of gastrointestinal In spite of the economic significance of a disease tract leading to diarrhea, ocular and nasal puruluent like PPR, scant literature is available in Indian context discharge, pneumonia and high mortality [2,3].The documenting the financial losses due to the disease.Estimation of economic losses is important not only as a description of the actual situation but also for how much and to what extent the losses can be avoided and risk of disease can be reduced.Some studies have been of affected goats and (F) opportunity costs.carried out that document the economic losses due to The total economic loss is expressed as PPR in certain regions of India [9].However, the by considering all possible direct and indirect losses.
For the proportion of goats in milk in a year, the losses were expressed in terms of reduction in milk yield,

Materials and Methods
which through the price of milk could be directly The computation of the economic loss due to PPR converted into monetary terms.The loss due to direct is based on two sets of data, viz.journals.The data on the number of incidence and C .Milk loss due to increased abortions 11 deaths due to PPR were obtained from the average The disease can cause abortions, particularly in combined data on ovine/caprine in Annual Reports of the late pregnancies and leads to increased inter Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, kidding period, besides loss of kids.Assuming the time Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India for the for abortion as 3.5 months from conception, and a delay last 5 years (2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012).The number of cases and of six months in the next conception, the inter kidding deaths in each species, viz.sheep and goat were then period gets increased by 9.5 months in aborting cases, obtained on the basis of proportional incidence and and the milk loss due to increased abortions was deaths in sheep and goat [10,11]

Estimation of economic losses due to PPR:
In eastern region, the maximum number of cases and Component-wise losses due to PPR in sheep and goats deaths were reported during summer months.In as calculated by the methodology adopted in this study western region, highest number of cases and deaths -based on average number of cases and death reported were observed in rainy season.In northern region, by Government of India -are given in Tables-5 and 6. highest number of cases and deaths was registered in Mortality and morbidity losses, respectively, summer and rainy seasons, respectively.In southern contributed 34.34% and 65.66%, of total loss (Rs.region, maximum number of cases and deaths were 125.67 lacs) due to PPR in goats (Table -5).reported in winter season.
Disaggregated analysis revealed that among different The average number of infected and died sheep components of losses, the maximum loss was observed and goats due to PPR during the last five years (2008due to direct body weight loss (33.05%).Losses due to 12) are given in Table-4.Considering the population of treatment cost, reproductive failure and opportunity goats and sheep in the year 2007 (Livestock Census costs were the next major components of morbidity Report), the average annual morbidity rates due to PPR loss accounting for 14.90%, 9.37% and 6.34% of total in India were 0.0039% and 0.0031%, respectively.The loss, respectively.Direct milk loss accounted for the mortality rates in these respective species were 9.21 smallest proportion of total loss (2.01%).and 6.75 per million of population.As per the sample In case of sheep, mortality loss accounted for surveys under post graduate research projects [10,11], 33.78% of total loss while morbidity contributed the estimated morbidity and mortality rates were 66.22% of total loss (Rs.42.16 lacs) due to PPR.Direct 13.07% and 6.12% in goats and 21.85% and 10.92% in body weight loss contributed the highest proportion sheep, respectively.Thombare and Sinha [9] in an (36.39%) of total loss, followed by treatment cost outbreak study, reported prevalence rate of PPR in (18.15%), opportunity costs (6.43%) and losses due to Pune district of Maharashtra to be 52.99% and 51.17% reproductive failure (4.91%).Wool loss accounted for in sheep and goats, respectively.Mahajan et al. [14] negligible share of total loss (0.36%) (Table-6).reported from Jammu region higher prevalence rate of Total annual economic loss due to PPR in small PPR in goats (66.66%) than in sheep (35.71%).Tiwari ruminants was thus estimated as Rs.167.83 lacs.
(i) data reported by decline in milk production was calculated using the Department of Dairying Animal Husbandry and formula: Fisheries, Government of India and (ii) data based on B = (I-D) P L Z M L sample survey studies.Data used for computing C. Losses due to reproductive failure:economic losses are taken from secondary sources, viz.
. The data on mortality estimated from following equation: and morbidity were compiled from sample surveys C = [(12/K ) -{12/(K +9.5)}] (I-D) P AZ M 11 I I L carried out in the states of Chattisgarh and Madhya C .Cost of live weight loss due to increased abortions 12 Pradesh [10, 11].Reduction in the number of kids due to more abortions Evaluation of losses due to PPR: The total economic in goats after infection with a disease caused loss in live losses due to PPR were worked out as sum of morbidity body weight, which was estimated by the formulae: and mortality losses and treatment cost.The C = [(12/K ) -{12/(K +9.5)}] (I-D) due to PPR in sheep and goats are C .Losses due to increased inter kidding interval 2 summarized in Table-1.The methodology for sheep C = C + C 2 21 22 and goat is given as under: C .Milk loss due to increased inter kidding interval 21 Goats: The total economic loss (T ) due to PPR in goats The problem of non-conception caused by a L disease increases the inter kidding period and thus is worked out as sum of (A) mortality loss, (B) direct lower number of goats will be in milk at any given time.loss in milk yield, (C) Losses due to reproductive As a result of non-conception or delayed conception, failure, (D) Loss in body weight, (E) cost of treatment Total cost the milk output gets reduced.The loss of milk was Such losses are estimated by the formulae: calculated by the reduction in lactating goats in any C = [(12/K ) -{12/(K +9.5)}] (I-D) P A N B multiplied by the average milk yield per in-milk C .Body weight loss due to increased inter-lambing 2 goat per year and by the price M. period.C =[(12/ K )-{12/ (K +W)}](I -D)P (1-A)Z M 21 I I L Reduction in number of lambs born due to C .Cost of live weight loss due to increased inter increased inter lambing period due to a disease causes 22 kidding interval loss in body weight.Such losses is estimated by the Reduction in number of kids due to increased formulae: inter kidding period after infection with a disease C = [(12/ K ) -{12/ (K +W)}] (I-D) P (1-A ) in body weight: The value of direct loss due to C = [(12/ K )-{12/ (K +W)}] (I -D) P (1-A) is proportion of body weight loss, W D. Loss in body weight: The value of direct loss due to L A reduction in body weight is estimated by the formulae: is average body weight.D = (I-D) (1-P ) costs: These costs are assumed

Value of direct loss through reduction in milk yield:
AGgoats on the basis of average data reported by Govern-P and P , respectively) of the animal.Mortality B.

Table - 2
. Treatment cost of PPR affected sheep/goat

Loss from mortality: This was
LDairying and Fisheries, Government of India.A.1 Reduction in number of lambs born due to respectively).Highest mortality occurred in rainy increase in abortions causes loss in live body weight.season(38.98%), followed by summer (36.87%) and

Table - 3
. Region and season wise average number of cases and deaths in sheep and goats Balamurugan, V., Sen, A., Venkatesan, G., Yadav, V., sheep (65.66% and 66.22%, respectively).Among Bhanuprakash, V. and Singh, R.K., (2010) Isolation and different components of morbidity loss, direct body identification of virulent peste des petits ruminants viruses weight loss was the most significant in both goats and from PPR outbreaks in India, Trop Anim Health Prod, sheep.The study thus revealed a significant loss due to 42:1043-1046.PPR in small ruminants on a large scale.There is thus 6.Singh, B. and Prasad, S. (2008a) Modelling of economic losses due to some important diseases in goats in India, ample scope for preventive measures to control the

Table - 5
. Component and species wise losses due to PPR in goats (Rs.In lacs)

Table - 6
. Component and species wise losses due to PPR in sheep (Rs.In lacs)