Rinderpest, often referred to as cattle plague, was a highly contagious and often deadly viral disease that inflicted suffering on livestock for centuries. This devastating illness swept across continents, leaving economic ruin and widespread famine. Its historical impact shaped agricultural practices, trade routes, and human societies across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The disease posed a persistent threat to global food security, making its eventual eradication a landmark achievement in veterinary science and public health.
Understanding Rinderpest
Rinderpest was caused by a morbillivirus, closely related to the viruses causing measles in humans and canine distemper in dogs. The disease primarily affected cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, domestic water buffalo, yak, and wild ungulates like giraffes, wildebeest, and warthogs. Its highly contagious nature meant it spread rapidly through direct contact between animals, or contaminated water or air.
Mortality rates in susceptible herds could approach 100%. Animals developed fever, then erosions in the mouth, nasal and eye discharges, and severe diarrhea, often resulting in death within 6 to 12 days. The widespread decimation of livestock had severe economic consequences, hindering agricultural development and causing mass starvation in communities reliant on these animals for food, milk, draught power, and income. For instance, an outbreak in the 1890s in Africa killed over 90% of cattle in some regions, leading to the death of an estimated one-third of Ethiopia’s human population and two-thirds of the Maasai people of Tanzania.
The Eradication Campaign
Global efforts to eliminate rinderpest evolved from localized control to highly coordinated international campaigns. Early control involved quarantine, improved hygiene, and culling, proving effective in some regions, like Europe in the early 20th century. The development of an effective vaccine became a turning point. British veterinarian Walter Plowright developed a safe and economical attenuated-live virus vaccine in the 1950s that induced lifelong immunity, earning him the World Food Prize in 1999.
This scientific advancement paved the way for large-scale vaccination campaigns. In the 1960s, mass vaccination efforts, combined with movement control and stamping out measures, significantly reduced disease cases. Organizations like the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), founded in 1924 largely in response to rinderpest, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) played central roles in coordinating these efforts. The Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP), launched by the FAO in 1994 in collaboration with the OIE and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), provided strategic leadership and support.
GREP’s strategy included mass vaccination of cattle and buffalo, distribution of thermostable vaccines, and continuous epidemiological surveillance to monitor post-vaccinal immunity. International collaboration was crucial, with countries receiving assistance for training epidemiologists and laboratory staff, procuring equipment, and developing diagnostic tools. Despite challenges like resurgences in the 1980s due to interrupted vaccination programs, concerted efforts by national veterinary services, often supported by community-based animal health workers, relentlessly pursued the virus.
The Official Declaration
The culmination of these persistent global efforts came in 2011 when rinderpest was officially declared eradicated. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) announced global freedom from the disease on May 25, 2011. On June 28, 2011, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its member countries formally recognized the worldwide eradication. This declaration followed rigorous criteria, including a decade of intensive surveillance after the last confirmed case of rinderpest, which occurred in Kenya in 2001.
The process involved comprehensive verification by international bodies, ensuring all 198 countries and territories with rinderpest-susceptible animals were free of the disease. This official pronouncement marked a historic milestone in veterinary medicine and global health. It signified that the rinderpest virus no longer circulated in nature, with remaining samples confined to secure laboratories to prevent any accidental or deliberate release. The declaration underscored the success of unprecedented international cooperation and scientific dedication.
Why Rinderpest Eradication Matters
The eradication of rinderpest holds immense significance as it is only the second infectious disease, after smallpox in humans, to be wiped out globally. This achievement provided a proof of concept for controlling other animal diseases. The elimination of rinderpest enhanced food security and contributed to poverty reduction in livestock-dependent regions. Millions of livestock keepers were protected from losses, leading to increased production of meat, milk, and animal traction.
Economically, the absence of rinderpest has generated substantial benefits; for example, Ethiopia experienced a rise in household income by €38.1 million due to rinderpest control and eradication efforts. The eradication also had a positive impact on wildlife populations, particularly in Africa, where the recovery of wildebeest numbers in the Serengeti demonstrated the interconnectedness of animal health and ecosystem balance. The successful campaign established a precedent for future disease control and eradication efforts, showcasing sustained international collaboration, scientific innovation, and coordinated surveillance systems. Lessons learned from this victory continue to inform strategies for managing other transboundary animal diseases.