Rinderpest Virus

Introduction

Rinderpest, “cattle plague” in German, is the most devastating livestock disease in history. A virus, it presents quickly and has a high mortality rate. It infects all members of the artiodactyla order (even-toed ungulates). Believed to have originated in Asia, it spread east across Europe, then south through Africa. Out breaks throughout history have claimed millions of cattle and undomesticated ruminants, leading to large-scale famines, economic loss, and ecological disturbances. Finally, after a global vaccination and eradication effort, rinderpest joined small pox as the only viruses to have been driven to extinction by humans.

Classification

Baltimore Classification: Group V
Family: Paramyxoviridae
Genus: Morbillivirus