Abstract

Due to Rinderpest disease (cattle plague) in Poland, over 40,000 cattle died within the three months of the first half of 1920. Stopping the epizooty of rinderpest (pestis bovum; cattle plague; Typhus bovum contagiosus) spreading from Russia should be considered one of the greatest scientific, organizational and economic achievements of the reviving Polish statehood. Rinderpest is a highly contagious, viral disease caused by the Rinderpest virus, which leads to the death of over 90% of infected animals. Rinderpest virus damages lymphoid cells and the epithelial cell layer of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, genital tract and external- -secretory glands (lacrimal glands, mucous glands, salivary glands). Within a few days after infection, animals begin presenting symptoms of sepsis and dehydration caused by necrotic and hemorrhagic lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In order to stop the epizooty of bovine disease, the Ministry of Agriculture and State Goods ordered Dr. Feliks Jaroszyński to organize a rinderpest field station. The station was established in the forester’s lodge, in Michałówka near Puławy. The station produced anti-rinderpest serum and a rinderpest vaccine. In the peak period of operation, 2000 L of vaccine was produced each month. Vaccination of cattle carried out in the area endangered by rinderpest prevented the epidemic in 1922 and protected Poland and Europe from enormous losses. Knowledge about this unprecedented scientific, organizational and economic enterprise is not widely known, which neglects Poland’s pioneering contribution to preventing the epidemic of rinderpest. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced in 2010 that the world is free of the disease caused by the Rinderpest virus belonging to the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Morbillivirus.

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