In only the second elimination of a disease in history, rinderpest — a virus that used to kill cattle and wildlife by the millions — has been declared wiped off the face of the earth.
Rinderpest, which means “cattle plague” in German, does not affect humans, though it belongs to the same virus family as measles. But for millenniums in Asia, Europe and Africa it wiped out cattle, water buffalo, yaks and other animals needed for meat, milk, plowing and cart-pulling.
Its mortality rate is about 80 percent — higher even than smallpox, the only other disease ever eliminated.
Click "source" to read the entire article.
Rinderpest, which means “cattle plague” in German, does not affect humans, though it belongs to the same virus family as measles. But for millenniums in Asia, Europe and Africa it wiped out cattle, water buffalo, yaks and other animals needed for meat, milk, plowing and cart-pulling.
Its mortality rate is about 80 percent — higher even than smallpox, the only other disease ever eliminated.
Click "source" to read the entire article.
Sun Oct 17 14:36:46 2010