Rinderpest is a virus that kills cattle. Scientists believe that, except for samples in controlled laboratory conditions, they have wiped it out of existence. If true, this will be the second time in human history that a virus has been destroyed. The first was smallpox.
BBC News reports:
The eradication of the virus has been described as the biggest achievement in veterinary history and one which will save the lives and livelihoods of millions of the poorest people in the world.[...]
Rinderpest is one of the most lethal cattle diseases known to science. Typically, seven out of 10 cattle infected with the disease would die. But in the 1960s, veterinary scientist Walter Plowright developed a workable vaccine, allowing the disease to be brought under control.
But to begin with there was little to no co-ordination. Individual countries and groups of countries would attempt to vaccinate cattle, suppressing the disease for a while. But it would then re-appear.
Progress was only made once large unified projects were established to tackle the disease.
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