Skip to the content

Rinderpest Fact Sheet

Synopsis of Rinderpest

Rinderpest, also known as cattle plague, is a highly fatal viral disease of domestic cattle, buffalo, yaks, and other cloven-hoofed animals. The virus is found throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the West Indies. It is a member of the family, Paramyxoviridae, and genus, Morbillivirusan. Transmission of this disease mainly occurs via aerosols, such as expired air, eye and nose discharges, and saliva. Transmission also occurs via urine, feces, and milk. Infection is spread to other areas by the movement of infected animals and indirect transmission by clothing, equipment, and other fomites. There is no known carrier state for this disease.

  • Rinderpest is immunologically related to canine distemper, peste des petits, and the human measles virus.
  • Infections can be peracute, acute, or subacute depending on the virulence of the strain and the resistance of the infected animal.
  • There is only one serotype
  • Sources of virus
    1. Shedding of virus begins 1 to 2 days before pyrexia in tears, nasal secretions, saliva, urine, and feces
    2. Blood and all tissues are infectious before the appearance of clinical signs
    3. No carrier state
back to top
Clinical Signs and Symptoms
Animals:
  • Incubation: 3 to 15 days (4 to 5 is typical)
  • Note: Shedding of the virus in tears, nasal secretions, saliva, urine, and feces begins 1 to 2 days prior to fever development.
  • Peracute form (seen in highly susceptible and young animals):
    • No prodromal signs
    • Acute high fever
    • Congested mucous membranes
    • Death within 2 to 3 days
  • Acute form (classic):
    • Four stages:
      • Incubation period
      • Febrile phase (40-42°C)
        1. Fever
        2. Depression
        3. Anorexia
        4. Reduction of rumination
        5. Increased respiratory and cardiac rates
      • Mucous Membrane congestion (3rd phase)
        1. Oral, nasal, ocular, and genital tract mucosae
        2. Intense mucopurulent lachrymation and abundant salivation
        3. Anorexia due to necrosis and erosion of the oral mucosae
        4. Phase lasts for 2 to 3 days
      • Gastrointestinal phase
        1. Profuse watery or hemorrhagic diarrhea containing mucous and necrotic debris
        2. Severe tenesmus
        3. Dehydration
        4. Abdominal pain
        5. Abdominal respiration
        6. Weakness
        7. Recumbency
        8. Death within 8 to 12 days
  • Subacute form:
    • Fever
    • Anorexia
    • Diarrhea (sometimes)
    • Conjunctivitis (sometimes in pigs)
    • Oral erosions (sometimes in pigs)
    • Death (sometimes in pigs)
    • Milder form with a low mortality rate
  • Post-mortem lesions:
    • Oral lesions that initially appear as small necrotic foci, which then slough leaving red erosions (may appear on the gums, lips, hard and soft palate, cheeks, and base of the tongue)
    • Erosions and areas of necrosis as well as congestion, hemorrhage, and edema in the gastrointestinal and upper respiratory tracts
    • “Zebra” stripping in the large intestines due to congestion in the colonic ridges
    • Peyer’s patches may have necrotic foci
    • Lymph nodes may be enlarged and edematous
    • Carcass will be emaciated and dehydrated
Humans:
  • Rinderpest has not been reported to affect humans
back to top
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnostic Samples:
  • Prior to sample collection, the proper authorities should be notified.
  • Samples should only be sent under secure conditions and to authorized laboratories.
  • Samples to collect:
    • The best time to collect samples is when a high fever or oral lesions are present and prior to the onset of diarrhea (this is when viral titers are the highest)
    • Milk (the virus can be detected in the milk of recovered animals for up to 45 days after recovery and occurs in milk 1 to 2 days prior to development of clinical signs)
    • Blood
    • Swabs of lacrimal fluid
    • Necrotic tissue from oral lesions, lymph nodes, spleen, and tonsils
    • Samples should be transported on wet ice, not frozen
    • All tissue samples should be sent in 10% formalin
Differential Diagnosis:
  • The differential diagnoses include bovine virus diarrhea, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, malignant catarrhal fever, foot-and-mouth disease, vesicular stomatitis, salmonellosis, necrobacillosis, paratuberculosis, and arsenic poisoning.
Clinical Diagnosis:
  • Rinderpest should be considered in cattle with any acutely febrile, highly contagious disease with oral erosions and/or gastrointestinal signs.
Laboratory Tests:
  • Identification of the agent:
    • Antigen detection:
      • Agar gel immunodiffusion test
      • Direct and indirect immunoperoxidase tests
      • Counter immunoelectrophoresis
      • Immunohistopathology
    • Viral isolation and identification:
      • Viral isolation
      • Virus neutralization
      • Immunoperoxidase staining
    • Virus RNA detection:
      • Rinderpest-specific cDNA probes
      • Amplification by polymerase chain reaction
    • Serological tests:
      • ELISA
      • Virus neutralization
Treatment:
  • There is no treatment for this disease and it is usually fatal.
  • Vaccines:
    • The most commonly used vaccine is an attenuated strain
    • Immunity lasts at least five years and may even be life-long
    • Annual revaccination is recommended in order to obtain a high percentage of immunized animals in the area
    • Some countries use a mixed rinderpest/contagious bovine pleuropneumonia vaccine
back to top
Economic Consequences and Disease Eradication
Economic Consequences:
  • Loss of livestock.
  • Costs associated with eradication efforts.
  • International trade embargoes
  • Increased costs to consumers
Disease Eradication:
  • Immediate notification of state and federal health officials
  • Prevention and control:
    • The affected area should be quarantined
    • All exposed or infected animals should be slaughtered and the carcasses burned or buried
    • Clean and disinfect animal holding areas thoroughly
    • Protection of free zones
    • Click here for more information on prevention and control by Jones et. al., 2002.5
  • Viability:
    • Stable between pH 4.0 and 10.0
    • The virus is relatively fragile and, thus, does not persist in the environment
    • Sunlight is lethal and the virus is very sensitive to heat
    • The virus can survive for long periods of time in chilled or frozen tissues
  • Inactivation:
    • Most common disinfectants, such as phenol, cresol, or sodium hydroxide, will inactivate the rinderpest virus
back to top
Outbreaks

1885: “Great African Pandemic” decimated about 90% of cattle herds

1920's: Rinderpest spread to India and then to Brazil and Belgium

1970's: Rinderpest spread from Lebanon to Israel and Syria

1979-1983: More than 1 million cattle were destroyed in Africa due to a major outbreak of Rinderpest


Click here for information on the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme.6

Click on the following hyperlink for the most recent outbreak information located at the Office International des Epizooties Website. http://www.oie.int/eng/info/hebdo/A_DSUM.htm.7

back to top
Sources and Related Articles
Sources:
  1. CFSPH, January 10, 2005. Rinderpest: Cattle Plague. Published by the Center for Food Security and Public Health at the Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Available at http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/rinderpest.pdf.
  2. Gray Book: Foreign Animal Diseases, 1998. Rinderpest. Available at http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/gray_book/FAD/rin.htm.
  3. Montana.gov. Rinderpest. Published on Montana’s Official State Website (Department of Livestock). Available at http://mt.gov/liv/AnimalHealth/diseases/rinderpest/general.asp.
  4. OIE, April 22, 2002. Rinderpest. Published on the World Organisation for Animal Health Website. Available at http://www.oie.int/eng/maladies/fiches/a_A040.htm.
Related Articles:
  1. Jones, B. A. Araba, P. Koskei, and S. Letereuwa, October 2002. Doing if for themselves: How communities developed messages and communication methods for rinderpest eradication in southern Sudan. Available at http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/documents/grep/sudan_article.pdf.←
  2. Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme. FAO Agricultural Department: Animal Production and Health Division. Available at http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/grep/home.html.←
  3. Click on the following hyperlink for the most recent outbreak information located at the Office International des Epizooties Website. http://www.oie.int/eng/info/hebdo/A_DSUM.htm.←
back to top