rinderpest
noun
rin·der·pest
ˈrin-dər-ˌpest 
: an acute infectious disease of ruminant mammals (such as cattle) that is caused by a morbillivirus (species Rinderpest morbillivirus) and that is marked by fever, diarrhea, and inflammation of mucous membranes and by high mortality in epidemics
Examples of rinderpest in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers suggest that a rinderpest epidemic (an infectious viral disease that affects cattle) had decimated local herbivore populations, leaving them with fewer prey options.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Another possibility is that the lions were simply hungry because much of their normal prey had been wiped out by rinderpest.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
The 19th-century lions may have been unable to find buffalo because of rinderpest, a disease that spread through the area in the 1890s and decimated cattle and buffalo populations.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
The agency has transferred nuclear science and technology to help eradicate rinderpest, a viral disease that has killed cattle across the world; to help create over 3,400 new varieties of 210 plant species; and to map microplastics in the ocean, from Antarctica to the tropics.
—Rafael Mariano Grossi, Foreign Affairs, 18 July 2024
The only truly accurate measures of herd immunity are done in actual herds and come from studying animal viruses like rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease, said Dr. David M. Morens, Dr. Fauci’s senior adviser on epidemiology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
—New York Times, 24 Dec. 2020
Nicholle was a master researcher of infectious diseases and made many discoveries regarding the pathology and epidemiology of brucellosis, leishmaniasis, measles, rinderpest, scarlet fever, Mediterranean spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, trachoma and tuberculosis.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2012
In its entire almost 75-year history, the World Health Organization has certified only two diseases as totally eradicated: smallpox and rinderpest.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 22 Feb. 2023
Outbreaks of rinderpest, a disease that struck livestock and grazing animals, decimated wildebeest populations in East Africa until the disease was eradicated there in the 1960s (it has since been eradicated worldwide).
—Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2011
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Scott Travers, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Another possibility is that the lions were simply hungry because much of their normal prey had been wiped out by rinderpest.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
The 19th-century lions may have been unable to find buffalo because of rinderpest, a disease that spread through the area in the 1890s and decimated cattle and buffalo populations.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
The agency has transferred nuclear science and technology to help eradicate rinderpest, a viral disease that has killed cattle across the world; to help create over 3,400 new varieties of 210 plant species; and to map microplastics in the ocean, from Antarctica to the tropics.
—Rafael Mariano Grossi, Foreign Affairs, 18 July 2024
The only truly accurate measures of herd immunity are done in actual herds and come from studying animal viruses like rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease, said Dr. David M. Morens, Dr. Fauci’s senior adviser on epidemiology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
—New York Times, 24 Dec. 2020
Nicholle was a master researcher of infectious diseases and made many discoveries regarding the pathology and epidemiology of brucellosis, leishmaniasis, measles, rinderpest, scarlet fever, Mediterranean spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, trachoma and tuberculosis.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2012
In its entire almost 75-year history, the World Health Organization has certified only two diseases as totally eradicated: smallpox and rinderpest.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 22 Feb. 2023
Outbreaks of rinderpest, a disease that struck livestock and grazing animals, decimated wildebeest populations in East Africa until the disease was eradicated there in the 1960s (it has since been eradicated worldwide).
—Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2011
Cite this Entry
“Rinderpest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rinderpest. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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rinderpest
noun
rin·der·pest
ˈrin-dər-ˌpest
: an acute infectious usually fatal disease of ruminant animals (as cattle) that is caused by a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus (species Rinderpest morbillivirus), is marked by fever, diarrhea, and inflammation of mucous membranes, and has been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination
called also cattle plague
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