Rinderpest

Rinderpest, also called cattle plague, is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic cattle and many wild bovids caused by the rinderpest virus, a member of the Morbillivirus genus in the family Paramyxoviridae. The virus is closely related to other morbilliviruses such as measles and canine distemper viruses. Rinderpest primarily infects cattle and buffalo but can affect a range of wild ruminants. Transmission occurs mainly through direct contact and aerosols, with spread facilitated by contaminated equipment, vehicles, feed, and water. The disease typically presents with fever, dullness, oculonasal discharge, oral lesions, diarrhea, dehydration, and rapid deterioration, and mortality can be very high in susceptible herds.

Diagnosis relies on laboratory testing, including virus isolation, RT-PCR for viral RNA, and serology to detect antibodies. Differential diagnosis is needed to distinguish rinderpest from other bovine diseases with similar signs. Control measures emphasize biosecurity, movement restrictions, surveillance, and vaccination. The traditional vaccine is a live attenuated rinderpest vaccine, which, together with rapid outbreak containment, has been central to control efforts.

Rinderpest has had a profound historical impact on livestock health and agricultural economies, contributing to famine and displacement in affected regions. In 2011, the FAO and the OIE declared the disease eradicated globally, marking the first (and to date only) viral disease of animals to be eradicated. Since eradication, there have been no endemic rinderpest outbreaks; vaccine strains are maintained only under strict biosafety conditions in some facilities, and ongoing surveillance and import/export controls help prevent reintroduction.