Possible elimination of rinderpest

2010/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia

It seems that in recent years efforts to combat rinderpest have paid off. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has stated that the plague is destroyed and that the official announcement will be made in mid-2011. It is the second time that throughout history the eradication of a serious viral disease is achieved --which was the first time in 1980 -.

For centuries rinderpest has caused serious damage in Africa, Asia and Europe. The death of domestic and wild animals has brought famines and serious economic losses. In 1994, FAO launched a campaign to achieve the total eradication of plague in 2010, fostering the collaboration of organizations around the world. The condition was last detected in 2001 among wild buffalo in Kenya.