Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Rinderpest: Pakistan and Global Eradication Programme

The genus Morbillivirus, within the family Paramyxoviriidae has three important animal disease viruses i.e., Rinderpest virus (RPV), Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) and the Canine distemper virus (CDV). The RPV nucleic acid (RNA) is surrounded and protected in the cytoplasm by the nucleocapsid protein. Rinderpest can affect all the species of the order Artiodactyla – cloven footed animals/ even footed ungulates. The disease is characterized by the “the 3 D’s: discharge, diarrhea and death. The spread of the disease is caused by the introduction of live infected animals into rinderpest free areas. Geographical distribution of rinderpest has been confined to only three “defined foci”. There are several serological and molecular methods for the detection of the Rinderpest virus, but the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is the most sensitive method for the detection of minute quantities of nucleic acid material, so RT – PCR (Reverse Transcription-PCR) is used to diagnose the RPV. Infection can easily be controlled by proper quarantine and hygienic measures, owing to virus, need of close contact in order to be transmitted. The Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP) is a time bound activity aiming at the total elimination of rinderpest from the world by the year 2010. There had been two epidemics of rinderpest in Pakistan. Thereafter the disease occurred sporadically. The present study is carried out to assess the status of the disease in Asia and particularly in Pakistan, thus providing help in part to eliminate this disease.