Detection and genetic characterization of foot-and-mouth disease viruses in samples from clinically healthy animals in endemic settings.
A total of 1501 oral swab samples from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan were collected from clinically healthy animals between July 2008 and August 2009 and assayed for the presence of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) RNA. The oral swab samples from two (of four) live animal markets in Pakistan (n = 245), one (of three) live animal market in Afghanistan (n=61) and both the live animal markets in Tajikistan (n=120) all tested negative. However, 2 of 129 (∼2%) samples from Gondal and 11 of 123 (9%) from Chichawatni markets in Pakistan were positive for FMDV RNA. Similarly, 12 of 81 (15%) samples from Kabul and 10 of 20 (50%) from Badakhshan in Afghanistan were found to be positive. Serotypes A and O of FMDV were identified within these samples. Oral swab samples were also collected from dairy colonies in Harbanspura, Lahore (n=232) and Nagori, Karachi (n=136), but all tested negative for FMDV. In the Landhi dairy colony, Pakistan, a cohort of 179 apparently healthy animals was studied. On their arrival within the colony, thirty-nine (22%) of these animals were found positive for FMDV RNA (serotype A was identified), while 130 (72.6%) had antibodies to FMDV non-structural proteins. Thus, newly introduced animals may be a significant source of the disease in the colony. Only two animals from the cohort were detected as becoming positive for FMDV RNA during a follow-up period of 4months; however, only 10 animals remained negative for anti-NSP antibodies during this period.
National Veterinary Laboratory, Islamabad, Pakistan  Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
S M
SM
Jamal
G
G
Ferrari
M
M
Hussain
A H
AH
Nawroz
A A
AA
Aslami
E
E
Khan
S
S
Murvatulloev
S
S
Ahmed
G J
GJ
Belsham
D000346:Afghanistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes; D002417:Cattle; D003612:Dairying; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000662:veterinary*; D005536:Foot-and-Mouth Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D029544:Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013620:Tajikistan / Q000453:epidemiology
D012367:RNA, Viral