Abstract
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has set the year 2010 to declare the global eradication of rinderpest. So, it is timely that this book comes to recount the accomplishments so far. Rinderpest may now only remain in a small focus in the Somali pastoral ecosystem of Africa. Like no other disease, rinderpest brought much misery and destruction to cattle and their owners in Asia, Europe, and Africa, but now is destined to be only the second disease (after smallpox) to ever be eradicated. Peste des petits ruminants, however, is still wide-spread in parts of Africa, Middle East and Asia. Lessons learned from the history of rinderpest eradication will surely be important for future eradication programs of other transboundary animal diseases.
This book is a second in a series of monographs on “Biology of Animal Infections” produced by the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) in the United Kingdom. The book is written by 22 contributors who are well-known and qualified to write on this subject. The book consists of 17 chapters; including chapters on morbilliviruses, molecular biology, clinical signs and pathology, history, wildlife, diagnosis, old prophylactic methods, immunology, vaccination, control and eradication, strategy for measles eradication, conclusions and biographical notes on key players in rinderpest study and control.
The book contains 54 figures, 17 tables and 10 color plates placed in the center of the book. Sixteen of the figures and plates are of historical interest. The book contains 53 pages of references distributed among its 17 chapters, which include classical references and current literature into 2005. The table of contents and index are both detailed and adequate. Few minor editorial errors are present in the text of one chapter.
The clinical signs and pathology section is only 17 pages long, which makes it an area of less emphasis as compared to other sections which deal with the epidemiology and control. Some of the figures which illustrate pathology are a little dark, one is out of focus and the immunohistochemical figure would be better served in color.
Overall the book is a pleasure to read, and is a valuable resource for researchers on the subject. The book touches on the important milestones of these important diseases and includes a wealth of information on history, diagnosis, control and eradication of rinderpest. The book is suitable for its intended users who are specialists at veterinary research institutes, virologists, infectious disease specialists, and vaccine researchers.