title: Epizootiology of foot and mouth disease in Saudi Arabia: I. Analysis of data obtained through district field veterinarians.
abstract: Data on the epizootiological status of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in all districts of Saudi Arabia were obtained through responses to a specifically-designed questionnaire from field veterinarians working in different Directorates of Agriculture throughout the country. Suspected clinical occurrence of the disease was reported in seventeen of the twenty-three Directorates. The animal species affected were mainly cattle (in fifteen Directorates) and sheep (in eight Directorates). The disease was suspected among goats and camels in only two Directorates. Some animal owners were unwilling to notify suspicion of the disease. Laboratory diagnosis was not performed in all cases. Vaccination using an appropriately-formulated quadrivalent vaccine incorporating FMD virus serotypes O, A, C and Asia 1 was mainly applied to dairy animals. Limited numbers of locally-bred cattle and sheep were vaccinated in eight and four Directorates, respectively. The data obtained and the recommendations of field staff for improving control of FMD at the national level in Saudi Arabia are discussed.
authors.affiliation: National Agriculture and Water Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Water, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hafez
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Farag
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: al-Sukayran
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: al-Mujalli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005537:Aphthovirus / Q000276:immunology; D002162:Camelus; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005536:Foot-and-Mouth Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006041:Goats; D011790:Quarantine; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary; D014765:Viral Vaccines
chemical_list: D014765:Viral Vaccines