Rinderpest

• Rinderpest, also known as the Cattle Plague and Steppe Murrain, is an infectious and a viral disease of Artiodactyls or even-toed ungulates such as buffalo, bison, tamaraw, and other wild animals.
• Rinderpest is a German term for the virus while on the other hand, Cattle Plague is its English term.
• There is no specific treatment for PPR; however, treatment for bacterial and parasitic complications decreases mortality rates in affected flocks or herds.
• A live, attenuated PPR vaccine prepared in Vero cell culture affords protection from natural disease for > 1 year.
• Animals imported from countries where peste des petits ruminants exist must be carefully examined by veterinarians upon entering the country.
• Currently, antigen capture ELISA and reverse-transcription PCR assay are the preferred laboratory tests for confirmation of the virus.
• New animals entering the farm should be quarantined away from the rest of the herd until it is determined that they are healthy and there is no risk to the other animals on the farm.
• Steppe Murrain is also used to describe Rinderpest due to the fact that the disease was thought to have emerged from the steppes between Europe and Asia.
• Murrain pertains to any disease that affects cattle.
• Rinderpest is coined as the deadliest cattle disease in history but as of May 2011, during the 79th general session of OIE now known as the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH), there have been a world declaration of the Rinderpest virus’ eradication worldwide.
• The viral classification of the Rinderpest virus is Family Paramyxoviridae, Sub-family Paramyxovirinae, Genus Morbillivirus.
• The Rinderpest Morbillivirus has a single serotype in which its strains are only differentiated via its molecular structure and characterization.
• There are three known strains of the Rinderpest virus, two originated from Africa while the other one originated from Asia.
• The single serotype nature of the Rinderpest virus allows the developed vaccine to work on all three strains of the Rinderpest virus.
• The Rinderpest Morbillivirus has a lipid envelope with 6 virus structural proteins and a negative-sense ssRNA.
• The 6 structural proteins of the Rinderpest Morbillivirus are H, F, M, N, L, P, proteins.
• H&F proteins are embedded in the lipid membrane and are derived during budding and it also forms the virus envelope.
• The M protein is thought to be essential for its viral morphogenesis and budding.
• N, L, P proteins are viral structural proteins of the virus that forms the ribonucleoprotein complex with N protein also acting as a protection for the virion RNA.
• The Rinderpest Morbillivirus is 150-250 nm in diameter, and is hemispherical & has a pleomorphic capsid.
• There is no known antiviral treatment for the Rinderpest virus.
• Externally, mouth lesions as well as oculonasal discharges and salivation are also evident in cases of infection.
• Internally, the infection can be characterized as having lesions and necrosis present in the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract, congestion, hemorrhage, and cases of Rinderpest virus have been associated with the formation of zebra-stripping lesions present in the animal’s rectum.
• The virus can also be transmitted through fomites due to its susceptibility to degradation in the environment and can be transmitted through short distance aerosols.
• The Immunodiffusion test is the widely used diagnostic tool in the early emergence and eradication of the disease but through the advancement of science and technology, Antigen-capture Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Ag-ELISA) as well as Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) are now widely used as its diagnostic test to confirm the presence of Rinderpest virus due to its rapid and efficient results.
• Prevention and Control is the only method in preventing the re-emergence of the virus and is done through vaccination using an attenuated cell culture vaccine known as the Tissue Culture Rinderpest Vaccine (TCRV), with subsequent utilization of vaccination systems such as ring vaccination systems wherein the cattle which are most likely to become infected are prioritized in the administration of the vaccine, Quarantine, Culling, Controlling of transportation both Importation and exportation of cattle, using chemicals and disinfectants which has the capacity to degrade the virus’ lipid envelop
• The clinical findings or clinical signs evident in Rinderpest virus are most notably the 4D’s which are Depression, Discharges, Diarrhea, and Death.
• Viral entry into the epithelium of the upper or lower respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract occurs through the binding of the viral glycoprotein (H & F protein) to specific receptors in the host cell’s surface.
• The virus progressively spreads throughout the lymphatic and circulatory systems which leads to immunosuppression due to the virus’ ability to destroy lymphocytes particularly T-lymphocytes which leads to lymphoid depletion and destruction subsequently leading to marked lymphopenia in cases of infection.
• The virus enters the host's cells and releases its viral RNA genome which would be utilized as a template for synthesis and replication inside the cytoplasm of the host’s cells.
• Non-specific clinical signs such as fever and dehydration are also evident in cases of infection.
• Rinderpest virus is transmitted through infected cattle and their bodily secretions such as eyes, nose, mouth, feces, urine, blood, milk, and sperm.
• Rinderpest virus is replicated in the lymphoid cells of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, especially in lymphoid tissues such as tonsils, lymph nodes, and Peyer’s patches.
• The Rinderpest Morbillivirus is closely related to the Measles virus in humans and Canine Distemper virus.
• The difference between the Rinderpest virus and the Measles virus is based on their molecular structure and the number of nucleotides they have on their virion RNA.
• Dogs given multiple doses of the rinderpest virus proved refractory to Canine Distemper virus which simultaneously induced classical symptoms in control dogs.
• An Antigenic relationship between the viruses of Bovine Rinderpest & Canine Distemper has been demonstrated but the antigenic relationship is not complete.
• The virus contaminates “naive” animals through their oral and nasal passages.
• In severe cases, necrotic stomatitis can extend to the dental pad, palate, cheeks, papillae, and tongue.
• Peste des petits Ruminants (Ovine Rinderpest) was first reported in Côte d’Ivoire (the ivory coast) in 1942, and subsequently in other parts of West Africa, Middle East, India, and Asia.