Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
An outbreak in France in the XVIIIth century: rinderpest.
- Journal:
- Comptes rendus biologies
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Vallat, François
- Affiliation:
- francoisvallat@hotmail.com
Plain-English summary
Rinderpest is a serious disease that used to affect cattle and could kill between 60 to 90% of infected animals. Although it started in Asia, it reached France in several waves but never became a permanent problem there. In the 1700s, France experienced four outbreaks of rinderpest, and researchers have been able to map out where these outbreaks occurred. These events prompted the government to create health measures that helped improve livestock care in the 1800s, even before the science of microbiology was developed. Ultimately, rinderpest has been completely eradicated now.
Abstract
Long regarded as the major disease of cattle, rinderpest is now eradicated. It was inflicting from 60 to 90% mortality on livestock. Installed in Asia, it arrived in France in waves, but never became endemic there. Four outbreaks of rinderpest hit the country during the eighteenth century. Their geographical extension has been reconstituted. They forced the State to devise the consistent set of health actions the nineteenth century benefited before the advent of microbiology.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22682351/