Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)

Additional scientific description

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a prominent cattle disease in Africa. With a mortality rate of up to 50%, it causes significant economic losses (WOAH, no date). CBPP is preventable through control measures, including vaccination. Most countries maintain a list of approved veterinary vaccines for use. For specific disease control recommendations, please contact the relevant national veterinary authorities.

CBPP was known in Europe as early as the 16th century. It was spread throughout the world by increased international trade in live cattle in the second half of the 19th century. Stamping out policy eradicated the disease from many countries; however, it currently persists in sub-Saharan Africa. The main problems for control or eradication are the frequent occurrence of subacute or unapparent infections and the persistence of chronic carriers after the clinical phase. Because it is highly contagious with a mortality rate of up to 50%, it causes significant economic losses. CBPP is a prominent cattle disease in Africa (WOAH, no date).

Typically, when first introduced into a CBPP-free herd, CBPP is severe and mortality relatively high. Transmission of the disease occurs through direct contact between an infected and a susceptible animal which becomes infected by inhaling droplets disseminated by coughing. Since some animals can carry the disease without showing signs of illness, controlling the spread is more difficult (WOAH, no date).

A small proportion of cattle may die rapidly without showing any clinical signs other than fever. However, because the incubation period can be as long as six months, the clinical signs may become apparent only several weeks after the contact. The disease can therefore become established in a herd before it is noticed, and tracing back to the origin can be difficult.

The hyperacute form, involving up to 10 percent of infected animals, may be observed at the onset of an outbreak. Death is sudden and is often without any other signs.

The acute form is observed in approximately 20 percent of diseased animals. The course is usually from five to seven days. The earliest signs are a sudden onset of fever to 40°C or more and, in milking cows, a drop in milk yield. Sick cattle tend to isolate themselves from the herd and may stop eating. A typical respiratory disease develops; breathing is laboured and obviously painful. Abdominal breathing with a respiratory rate of 50 to 55 breaths/minute may be seen and cattle may "grunt" when breathing out. Some animals develop a shallow, dry and painful cough, particularly noticeable on exercise. Application of pressure between the ribs is painful and resented by affected cattle, which sometimes react violently. On percussion, the ventral part of the chest sounds dull owing to the presence of fluid in the chest cavity. Acutely affected cattle stand with head and neck extended and forelegs spread apart (FAO, 1997 - see Plate 1), with dilated nostrils and mouth open panting for air. There may be nasal discharge, sometimes streaked with blood, and frothy saliva accumulates around the mouth. Some animals develop swellings of the throat and dewlap. Pregnant cows and heifers may abort, and diarrhoea has been recorded.

The subacute form occurs most frequently in about 40 to 50 percent of the animals affected. The symptoms resemble those of the acute form but are less severe and the fever is intermittent. This form usually becomes chronic.

At necropsy, the thoracic cavity may contain a lot of clear yellow or turbid fluid, and the diseased lung (largely unilateral, affecting only one lung) is enlarged, solid and covered by thick deposits of fibrin (FAO, 1997 see Plates 2). On a section of the lung, the typical marble-like appearance is evident because of the widened interlobular septa and subpleural tissue that encloses grey, yellow, or red consolidated lung lobules (FAO, 1997 - see Plate 7 and 8).

The chronic form is a natural evolution of both acute and subacute forms but in some animals, it may develop directly. The clinical signs regress but cattle can still have intermittent fever, together with loss of both appetite and weight. In addition to the presence of lung adherence on the ribs (FAO, 1997 - see Plate 5 and 6), areas of dead lung tissue become surrounded by a capsule of fibrous connective tissue. This structure is called a sequestrum (FAO, 1997 - see Plate 9). Sequestra of different diameters can be detected in the same lung.

Calves in the first six months of life more often show lameness from swollen, hot, painful limb joints (FAO, 1997).

CBPP is one of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) listed diseases (WOAH, 2024b).

Humans are not known to be susceptible to CBPP, so there is no public health risk. (WOAH, 2024a; no date).

Metrics and numeric limits

CBPP is one of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) listed diseases (WOAH, 2024b). Reports are available on organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health map of CSF official status (WOAH) website (WOAH, 2024c).