KOUBA V.
Abstract
Rinderpest is an acute, febrile, highly infectious, viral,
killing disease of domestic livestock and wild animals. It has caused devastating
stock losses in many parts of Africa and Asia. The rinderpest in Africa was
much reduced by a vaccination campaign during 1962-1976. There was unfortunately
a resurgence of the disease in the 1980s when it spread over African continent
up to Egypt, Djibuti, Senegal and Zambia and over Asia up to borders of Europe
(Turkey). FAO, together with other participating international organizations
and member countries started global rinderpest eradication programme. Following
strategies were used: stamping out by slaughter of affected and suspected animals,
in-contacts and other susceptible livestock species on infected premises; elimination
by modified stamping out with ring vaccination; quarantine with ring vaccination
without slaughter. The programme has achieved considerable results reducing
rinderpest territorial distribution by the end of 2002 to northeast Kenya and
southern Somalia. In Asia, the last outbreak was in Pakistan in 2000. This campaign
represents the most extensive international programme controlling an animal
disease in the history. The goal is to achieve complete eradication by the year
2010. It would be the first animal disease eradicated globally.
Keywords:
Africa, Asia, cattle, disease control, disease eradication,
losses due disease, mortality, rinderpest, stamping out