FieldDxRinderpestClinical signs, differential diagnosis, treatment and prevention in cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep and pigs.
Overview
A once-devastating cattle plague, globally eradicated in 2011 -- the first livestock disease ever eradicated. Rinderpest virus, a morbillivirus closely related to peste des petits ruminants, canine distemper and measles viruses.
Clinical signs
- Incubation period is usually 2 to 15 days.
- The disease manifests in four distinct clinical stages: (a) Incubation Stage: 2 to 15 days under natural conditions.
- (b) Prodromal Stage: Marked rise of temperature (peak of over 104°F) lasting up to 6 days.
- Animals become dull, depressed, and anorectic with retarded rumination.
- The muzzle is dry and there is serous nasal discharge and lacrimation.
- Feces are initially hard, but in 2 to 3 days, fluid feces containing mucus and streaks of blood appear.
- (c) Mucosal Stage: Discrete necrotic foci develop in the oral cavity, which are greyish white raised pin-head punctate necrotic epithelial cells that leave erosions, leading to salivation and an offensive odor.
- Heavy diarrhea with straining is common, along with a marked drop in milk yield, polydipsia, photophobia, and respiratory distress.
Predisposing factors
- Natural transmission from cattle to goat is possible.
- Direct or close indirect contact between susceptible animals and sick animals shedding the virus is required, as the virus is fragile and inactivated within 12 hours of exposure to atmospheric heat…
- Natural infection occurs primarily by direct contact with infected ones by methods of inhalation.
- Young cattle are infected after maternal immunity disappears.
Look-alikes to rule out
Treatment
- There is no effective treatment.
- Supportive treatment includes fluid and electrolyte therapy with parenteral antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial and protozoal infections.
- Large doses of fluid and rinderpest-antiserum (1 mL/kg BW intravenously) may increase recovery chances.
Prevention
1. Quarantine and border control of animal movement are paramount. 2. Stamping out through slaughter of affected and exposed animals. 3. In endemic areas, control is by mass immunization of animals over 1 year of age with attenuated cell-culture vaccines. 4.
Source
A Textbook of Preventive Veterinary Medicine by Amalendu Chakrabarti (Pages 75–83) 2-4, 6, 9, 10, 13-15; The Merck Veterinary Manual 11th Edition (Pages 771–772) 1, 5, 8.
MSD Veterinary Manual — Rinderpest (accessed 2026-08-11)
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