Rinderpest

Unique identifier / Notation

BI0312

Synonyms

Peste bovine (fr) Peste bovina (es) Чума крс (ru)

Rinderpest was an acute, highly contagious viral disease of wild and domesticated ruminants and pigs, characterized by sudden onset of fever, oculonasal discharges, necrotic stomatitis, gastroenteritis and death. Rinderpest was eradicated in 2011 (FAO & OIE, 2011).

Primary reference(s)

Joint FAO/OIE Committee on Global Rinderpest Eradication, 2011. Final report. FAO and OIE. May 2011. Accessed 28 May 2025.

Annotations

Additional scientific description

Rinderpest is considered an eradicated disease. In case sick animals presenting rinderpest-like clinical signs (4Ds i.e. oculonasal discharge, diarrhoea, dehydration and deaths) are found and spreading fast, report it immediately to the official Veterinary Service office (FAO, 2016); WOAH Members are obliged to notify WOAH of important epidemiological events, such as suspected cases of rinderpest, through an immediate notification using the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS); Non-WOAH Members should inform FAO ([email protected]) without delay.

Rinderpest was caused by paramyxovirus in the genus Morbillivirus. Rinderpest was capable of causing devastating losses (FAO, 1999). The disease was most commonly observed in domestic cattle and buffalos. Many species of wild and domestic cloven-hoofed animals (including sheep and goats) showed only mild clinical signs of the disease when infected, but for cattle and buffalo, mortality rates can reach 100% in highly susceptible herds. In cattle, the most susceptible species, classical signs of the disease included fever, erosive lesions in the mouth, discharge from the nose and eyes, profuse diarrhoea and dehydration, often leading to death within 10 to 15 days. In other species, rinderpest may show milder clinical signs (OIE, 2016). Asian domestic sway-backed pigs could also suffer from and succumb to rinderpest. Infection was also confirmed in many wild even-toed ungulates belonging to the order Artiodactyla: African buffalo, eland, kudu, warthog, bongo, bushbuck, bush pig, chevrotain, dik-dik, duiker, giant forest hog, giraffe, sitatunga, wildebeest in Africa; and banteng, blackbuck, gaur, nilgai and sambar in Asia (FAO, 1996). The global eradication of rinderpest, proclaimed in 2011, was a major milestone that parallels the extermination of smallpox worldwide in 1980. Both diseases, although caused by distinctly different viruses, inflicted untold misery and death for centuries and both diseases were finally overcome through the use of vaccines (FAO & OIE, 2022).

Metrics and numeric limits

Rinderpest, also known as cattle plague, is a contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals (mainly cattle and buffalo). In 2011, rinderpest became the second disease to be declared officially eradicated, following the eradication of the human disease smallpox in 1980 (WOAH, no date).

Key relevant UN convention / multilateral treaty

WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) (WTO, 1994). https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/agrmntseries4_sps_e.pdf

UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods - UN Model Regulations Model Regulations (UNECE, 2023). https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/un-model-regulations-rev-23

Drivers

Although rinderpest no longer occurs in livestock, the rinderpest virus-containing material is being stored in a few laboratories across the world where it poses a risk through inadvertent or malicious release (Myers et al., 2018). Virus escape from a laboratory and introduction to susceptible animals. Outcomes: death of infected animals, spread of infection, production loss, famine, trade ban, loss of global freedom from rinderpest.

Before its eradication, rinderpest easily spread in areas experiencing civil conflict, resulting in insecurity, displacement of people, loss of assets, and greater need to remain mobile. In such areas, vaccination to raise herd immunity was difficult, and movement (displacement) of animals spread the disease. After the eradication, bioterrorism is a concern.

Impacts

High mortality in cattle, trade ban, livelihoods and food security implications.

Multi-hazard context

Before its eradication, rinderpest easily spread in areas experiencing civil conflict, resulting in insecurity, displacement of people, loss of assets, and greater need to remain mobile. In such areas, vaccination to raise herd immunity was difficult, and movement (displacement) of animals spread the disease. After the eradication, bioterrorism is a concern.

Risk Management

Rinderpest remains a notifiable disease to the OIE, and adequate surveillance systems must be maintained to ensure early detection of clinical cases, should there be any accidental or intentional escape of the virus from high-containment storage facilities (OIE, 2016). Through the Global Rinderpest Action Plan (GRAP), FAO aims to ensure continued global freedom from rinderpest by outlining the actions necessary to prepare for, respond to and recover from an outbreak. The GRAP also entails optimizing capacity to make diagnostic tools and vaccines available if needed, a coordinated emergency plan that can be immediately activated upon the first confirmed case, assuring both a rapid return to global freedom from the disease and necessary support for affected livelihoods (FAO, no date).

Monitoring

The section and the table below offer an overview of monitoring for rinderpest. This information can be used for forecasting within a national early warning system (EWS). Since EWS capacities and processes differ across countries, the most current and specific information regarding EWS should be obtained from the appropriate national or regional agency/authority responsible for disaster management.

Which institution(s) produce(s) Disaster Risk Data/Information?

FAO Reference Centres, WOAH Reference Centres,

How is the Hazard Observed/Monitored/Forecast?

FAO empres-i+ https://empres-i.apps.fao.org/diseases

WOAH WAHIS https://wahis.woah.org/#/event-management