The eradication of East Coast fever in South Africa

An epizootic of East Coast fever followed the introduction of a highly fatal strain of Theileria parva parva into South Africa in 1902. This is a brief historical review of the campaign to control and finally eradicate the disease through tick control, quarantine and the slaughter of exposed cattle. The disease was responsible for an estimated 5.5 million deaths before its final eradication in 1954.