anti-rinderpest serum

**Anti-rinderpest serum** is a historical veterinary passive immunotherapy consisting of polyclonal antibodies collected from animals that had recovered from or were hyperimmunized against rinderpest virus. It was used mainly in cattle and buffalo for prevention and sometimes early treatment of rinderpest, a now-eradicated morbilliviral disease of bovids. Its mechanism is passive transfer of virus-neutralizing antibodies directed against rinderpest virus antigens, providing immediate but temporary protection rather than active immunization. The term may also refer in laboratory contexts to hyperimmune anti-rinderpest serum prepared in rabbits for diagnostic assays, so the name is somewhat nonspecific unless the intended use is stated explicitly. This is a veterinary biologic rather than a modern standardized pharmaceutical product, and it is primarily of historical significance because rinderpest was globally eradicated.

Other names

anti-rinderpest serumrinderpest antiserumrinderpest immune serumrinderpest protective serumhyperimmune anti-rinderpest serum