Rinderpest: Causes, Transmission, Symptoms and RHF Designation

Learn about Rinderpest, a deadly viral disease that affected cattle and wildlife, and how global eradication efforts led to its official elimination in 2011.

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Context: India has achieved a major milestone in global animal health with the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal being designated as a Category A Rinderpest Holding Facility (RHF).

About Rinderpest

Rinderpest, also known as cattle plague, is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals like cattle and buffalo.
Caused by a virus from the Paramyxoviridae family, genus Morbillivirus.
While animals like sheep and goats may show mild symptoms, cattle and buffalo can suffer up to 100% mortality in highly susceptible herds.
Other susceptible species include zebus, eland, kudu, wildebeest, giraffes, antelopes, bushpigs, and warthogs.
Transmission occurs through direct contact; the virus is found in nasal secretions before symptoms appear, and later in most body fluids.

Rinderpest does not affect humans and poses no public health risk.
It historically occurred in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and was officially eradicated in 2011.

Symptoms

Symptoms in cattle include:

High fever
Mouth lesions
Nasal and eye discharge
Severe diarrhoea and dehydration
Death usually within 10–15 days

Rinderpest Holding Facility (RHF) Designation

Given by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the United Nations’ FAO.
Aims to prevent re-emergence by limiting storage of Rinderpest Virus-Containing Material (RVCM) to a few secure laboratories worldwide.
ICAR-NIHSAD (Bhopal) was designated India’s official RVCM repository in 2012.
It is a Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) facility and a WOAH reference lab for avian influenza.
After rigorous evaluation, it was awarded Category A RHF status for one year.
India is now among only six global facilities entrusted to securely hold rinderpest virus material.