Murrain

The word "murrain" /ˈmʌrɪn/ (like an archaic use of the word "distemper") is an antiquated term covering various infectious diseases affecting cattle and sheep. The word originates from Middle English moreine or moryne, in parallel to Late Latin morina ("plague"), a probable derivative of Latin mori ("to die").

The word "murrain", much like the word "pestilence", did not refer to a specific disease but rather served as an umbrella term for what veterinary science now recognizes as a number of different diseases with high morbidity and mortality, such as rinderpest, erysipelas, foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax, and streptococcus infections. Some of these livestock diseases can also affect humans. The term "murrain" also referred to an epidemic of such a disease.

There were major sheep- and cattle-murrains in Europe during the 14th century, which, combined with the Little Ice Age, resulted in the Great Famine of 1315–1317, weakening the population of Europe before the onset of the Black Death in 1348.