Systematic Veterinary Virology

TRANSMISSION

• The secretions and excretions from infected animals, particularly nasal-ocular discharges and faeces, 1 to 2 days before clinical signs to 8 to 9 days after onset of clinical signs contain large quantities of virus.
• Rinderpest virus spreads from healthy to susceptible animals mostly through this infected droplets, either in the breath of a sick animal or in its virus-rich secretions or excretions.
• The important source of infection for a new herd is arrival of live animal from infected areas. Since the droplets are large and short-lived, the contact between sick and healthy animals must be close for transmission to occur.
• Transmission also occurs through indirect methods like contact with contaminated bedding, fodder or water. In pigs infection also occurs through eating uncooked infected meat scraps.
• There is no vertical transmission. Further the infection is also not transmitted by arthropod vectors. There is no carrier state of infection also.