Rinderpest

Rinderpest (also known as cattle plague or steppe murrain) was an infectious viral disease of cattle, domestic buffalo, and many other species of even-toed ungulates, including buffaloes, large antelope and deer, giraffes, wildebeests, and warthogs.

History

The disease was characterized by fever, oral erosions, diarrhea, lymphoid necrosis, and high mortality. Death rates during outbreaks were usually extremely high, approaching 100% in immunologically naïve populations. Rinderpest was mainly transmitted by direct contact and by drinking contaminated water, although it could also be transmitted by air. After a global eradication campaign, the last confirmed case of rinderpest was diagnosed in 2001.

Symptoms

The symptoms of rinderpest were high fever, followed by discharges from the eyes and nose, erosions in the mouth, and diarrhea. The animal would also exhibit a loss of appetite and signs of depression. The disease was usually fatal, with animals dying from dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Eradication

The global eradication of rinderpest was declared in 2011 by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health. This followed a decade-long intensive vaccination campaign. Rinderpest is the second disease to have been eradicated, after smallpox.

See also

• Smallpox
• Infectious disease
• Viral disease
• Food and Agriculture Organization
• World Organisation for Animal Health

References

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External links

• FAO Rinderpest Home Page
• OIE Rinderpest Portal

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