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Getting Rid of Rinderpest

   Joe DeCapua 14 October 2010

   The  deadly  cattle  disease  â  rinderpest  â  is  on  the  verge  of
   extinction.  The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is ending all
   field  operations  against  the  disease and is expected to officially
   announce its eradication next year.

   Modibo  Traoré,  FAOâs  assistant  director-general,  agriculture and
   consumer   protection   department,  says,  âGlobal  coordination  and
   inter-organizational  cooperation  has been fundamental in bringing us
   to  the verge of achieving global eradication of an animal disease for
   the first time in history.â

   Centuries old plague

   Juan  Lubroth, the FAOâs chief veterinary officer, says rinderpest has
   affected  Europe,  Asia and Africa for centuries, often leaving famine
   in its wake.

   âRinderpest,  known as a cattle plague, was killer of a disease.  Not
   only  did it affect cattle, but also numerous wildlife.  So, wherever
   that  virus  went  through  cattle  would  die  in  a matter of days â
   hundreds, thousands, millions of cattle and wildlife,â he says.

   Eradication of the disease also bolsters food security efforts.

   âItâs not only the loss of meat and milk,â he says, âit was also draft
   power  and  being able to till the soil and take the crops to market.Â
   I think by having had a good vaccine in eradicating rinderpest, from a
   food security point of view, this is a tremendous accomplishment.â

   For  example,  when rinderpest entered Africa in the 19^th century, it
   killed  millions of livestock and wildlife.  The FAO says during that
   pandemic alone, up to one-third of Ethiopiaâs human population died of
   starvation.

   In  1994,  a rinderpest outbreak in northern Pakistan killed more than
   50,000 cattle and buffalo before being brought under control.

   Making it official

   Lubroth  says  official  eradication  will be announced after a formal
   process.

   âThe  eradication itself is an international agreement, and so we have
   to  make  sure  that  all  the  countries  that  are not recognized as
   rinderpest-free  do  so. And that will only occur in May 2011 with the
   World Organization for Animal Health,â he says.

   The organization will certify that all countries are in compliance.

   âSo  itâs  only  after that,â says Lubroth, âweâll be able to say with
   certainty, with international recognition, that the world is free from
   rinderpest.  I think weâve already eradicated rinderpest, but we have
   to go through the international agreements to recognize each and every
   member country.â

   In 1999, the World Food Prize was awarded to Der. Walter Plowright for
   development of the rinderpest vaccine.

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