Epidemiological Investigation and Risk Factors of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Goats of Northeastern Bangladesh

• PPR remains endemic in northeastern Bangladesh goats • Seroprevalence (35%) exceeds molecular prevalence (16.6%) • Herd-level exposure reached 75.6% across sampled households • Supply water and free-ranging associated to PPRV infections Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) remains a major constraint to small ruminant health and rural livelihoods in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of PPR among 368 unvaccinated goats sampled from eight upazilas in northeastern Bangladesh between April and July 2024. Competitive ELISA and RT-PCR targeting the N and F genes were used to detect PPR-specific antibodies and molecular identification, respectively. The seroprevalence was 35.05% (95% CI: 30.18–40.17), while the molecular prevalence was 16.6% (95% CI: 12.92–20.78). At the household-level (n = 90), the molecular prevalence was 41.11% (95% CI: 30.81–51.98), while the seroprevalence was 75.56% (95% CI: 65.29–84.07). Among clinical signs, coughing was strongly associated with PPR virus infection. Multivariable logistic regression identified two potential key predictors of PPR infection: water source and grazing system. Goats drinking supply water had higher odds of PPR positivity (aOR = 2.19; 95% CI: 0.97–5.13), and those grazing under free-ranging systems had significantly higher odds compared with the Gidding grazing system (aOR = 3.64; 95% CI: 1.15–16.13). These findings underscore the role of management practices and environmental exposure in PPR transmission. Targeted improvements in water management, grazing practices, and surveillance are essential to support Bangladesh’s goal of PPR eradication by 2030.