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Cattle scourge no more: The eradication of rinderpest and its lessons for global health campaigns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2016

Jeremy Youde
Jeremy Youde*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Minnesota Duluth, 1123 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55812 [email protected]

Abstract

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In 2011, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) officially declared rinderpest eradicated. This cattle virus, which has historically had significant political, economic, and social consequences, is only the second infectious disease to disappear from the face of the planet due to concerted human actions. This paper explores the effects that rinderpest has had historically, chronicles the actions of the Global Rinderpest Eradication Campaign (GREP), and discusses the lessons that GREP can offer for combating other infectious diseases. I argue that rinderpest's unique viral characteristics made eradication particularly feasible, but that GREP's activities offer important lessons for fostering international cooperation on controlling infectious disease outbreaks.

Keywords

RinderpestGlobal Rinderpest Eradication ProgramOne Healthanimal healthhuman healthinfectious disease control and eradication
Type
Research Articles
Information
Politics and the Life Sciences , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , Spring 2013 , pp. 43 - 57
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Politics and the Life Sciences 

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