Contagious Bovine

Pleuropneumonia

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a

slow–spreading, infectious disease of cattle, primarily

affecting the lungs and joints. Other than occasional

infection in Asian buffalo, no other animals or humans

are susceptible to this disease.

CBPP is endemic in most of Africa, is a problem

in parts of Asia, especially India and China, and has

occurred in Europe. CBPP was eradicated from the

United States in 1892. The Bureau of Animal

Industry, which was the forerunner of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service (APHIS), was formed in

1884 specifically to eradicate CBPP. Currently, CBPP

is not present in the Western Hemisphere.

How it Spreads

Under natural conditions, CBPP spreads directly

from infected to susceptible cattle in close contact

with each other. Infected cattle breathe and cough

out droplets of moisture containing Mycoplasma

mycoides. The bacteria are then inhaled by nearby

cattle. Exposed cattle, if susceptible, may develop

CBPP and are considered infectious for at least 6

months after exposure to cattle with the disease.

Cattle vary greatly in their susceptibility to CBPP.

Cattle in closely confined quarters have higher rates

of infection than cattle on the open range due to their

close proximity to each other and the increased

chance to breathe in contaminated air droplets

exhaled by herdmates. In typical outbreaks, about 40

percent of exposed cattle get the disease, and 

mortality among diseased cattle can range from 

10 percent to 70 percent. In one African outbreak,

100,000 cattle died of CBPP in 2 years.

The disease spreads slowly. CBPP is most 

easily spread in the early stages of infection.

Infected cattle begin to breathe out bacteria during

the incubation period—even before signs develop.

Although not yet substantiated experimentally, it is

thought that cattle that recover from CBPP may 

harbor a walled–off infection in their lungs; if

stressed, the walls around the infection break down

and the animal may become an active shedder of the

organism again, and a source of infection, potentially

showing no signs of disease.

Some cattle can be carriers—infected animals

that never develop typical signs of the disease.

Carriers are dangerous because they frequently introduce the disease into previously uninfected areas. In

fact, most new outbreaks can be traced to a carrier

or to a healthy–looking animal in the incubation stage

of CBPP that was moved into a susceptible population.

Clinical Signs

Cattle are the only animals naturally infected by

CBPP. Susceptible cattle usually develop signs 3 to 6

weeks after they are exposed, but in highly 

susceptible cattle, signs may develop within 10 to 14

days. There are three forms of the disease: acute,

peracute, and mild.

Acute form. The acute form of CBPP is the

most common and it is frequently fatal. Surviving

animals recover slowly. An infected animal’s 

temperature rises suddenly, accompanied by loss of

appetite. There is a drop in milk production in cows.

Breathing becomes rapid and shallow. After

exercise, the animal coughs frequently. At first, the

cough is dry, but later becomes moist. As the 

disease progresses, the animal shows obvious pain

while inhaling and exhaling. The animal assumes a

characteristic stance, with head lowered, back

arched, elbows pointed outward to allow the chest to

maximally expand, and mouth open to ease its

breathing.

Usually, the bacteria invade only one lung. As

pneumonia and pleurisy develop, the lung becomes

inflamed and enlarged. In fatal cases, air passages

fill up with fluid, the body of the lung becomes firm

with fibrous connective tissue, and is followed by the

death of lung tissues. The animal suffers from lack of

air. Fibrous tissues connect the normally unattached

outer surface of the lung to the inner chest wall.

Great quantities of fluid may fill the chest cavity as

lung tissues break down. Then, cattle lose weight,

become distressed, and stop chewing their cud.

Edema, or swelling may develop in the throat and

dewlap. Cattle may “go down,” refusing to stand up

before they die. In fatal cases, death comes 2 to 5

weeks after first signs of disease.

Peracute form. The peracute—or severe—form

of CBPP is uncommon. Cattle with this form of the

disease develop many of the signs described for

acute infection, or they may develop a severe form of

pneumonia. Death usually comes 1 to 3 weeks after

signs appear.

Mild form. A mild—or subclinical—form of

CBPP also occurs. Although cattle do not show

signs of disease, they become carriers and continue

Factsheet

Veterinary Services October 2003

APHIS
to spread CBPP. Normally, this form is not fatal for 

several years. Any time an animal with the mild form

is under stress, it may develop signs of the acute

form.

Detection

Laboratory and field diagnostic tests have been

perfected to detect CBPP. In countries where the 

disease exists, diagnosis is based on the combination

of an examination of suspect cattle by a veterinarian,

review of the history of the herd, and a postmortem

examination including submission of samples for

essential laboratory tests.

The necropsy examination often reveals 

characteristic prominent fibrous tissue in a “marbled”

pattern in the affected lung. Large areas of damaged

lung tissue will feel as firm as liver. In some of the

walled–off areas of the lung, tissue will begin to die.

A large quantity of straw–colored fluid is often found in

the chest cavity.

One or more joints of the infected animal may be

swollen. The joint fluid in the affected joint will have

lost its normal viscosity and have a watery 

consistency.

Prevention and Control

APHIS continues to prohibit imports of live cattle

from countries where CBPP exists. In addition, USDA

works closely with U.S. Department of Homeland

Security (USDHS) inspectors stationed at U.S. ports

of entry to ensure that import restrictions are

enforced. These measures are designed to prevent

the accidental introduction of a carrier or infected animal and are described in further detail below.

If CBPP should enter the United States, in spite of

the established safeguarding measures, it would be a

major threat to the U.S. cattle industry.

The following disease–fighting measures have

been used against CBPP:

• On–farm quarantine of suspicious and contact 

animals

• Slaughter of infected and exposed/contact cattle

with proper disposal of animals and 

contaminated material

• Extensive cleaning and disinfection of the 

infected premises, equipment, and facilities

• Restrictions on the movement of all livestock in 

the affected area

• Vaccination (only in countries with endemic 

CBPP)

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service’s Role

USDA has emergency response plans in place to

deal quickly with the accidental or intentional introduction of this and other foreign animal diseases.

As mentioned above, APHIS prohibits the 

importation of cattle from countries with known CBPP.

Serologic testing of susceptible animals prior to 

importation is required. As a further precaution, the

United States requires that every imported animal

have an official veterinary certificate of health from its

native country. Imported cattle are inspected at U.S.

ports of entry, where they are further examined, treated, and quarantined as necessary.

Through cooperation with USDHS, APHIS 

maintains a constant alert status to protect American

livestock from foreign animal diseases such as CBPP.

What the U.S. Livestock Owner Can Do

Livestock owners can help to protect the U.S. livestock industry by knowing the signs of CBPP and

immediately reporting anything suspicious to their 

veterinarian or to an animal disease control official.

Additional Information

For more information contact:

USDA–APHIS

Veterinary Services Emergency Programs

4700 River Road, Unit 41

Riverdale, MD 20737

Phone: (301) 734–8073

Fax: (301) 734–7817 

or visit the APHIS Web site at 

www.aphis.usda.gov.

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in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

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Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture