Quantification of transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus caused by an environment contaminated with secretions and excretions from infected calves.
Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infected animals can contaminate the environment with their secretions and excretions. To quantify the contribution of a contaminated environment to the transmission of FMDV, this study used calves that were not vaccinated and calves that were vaccinated 1 week prior to inoculation with the virus in direct and indirect contact experiments. In direct contact experiments, contact calves were exposed to inoculated calves in the same room. In indirect contact experiments, contact calves were housed in rooms that previously had held inoculated calves for three days (either from 0 to 3 or from 3 to 6 days post inoculation). Secretions and excretions from all calves were tested for the presence of FMDV by virus isolation; the results were used to quantify FMDV transmission. This was done using a generalized linear model based on a 2 route (2R, i.e. direct contact and environment) SIR model that included information on FMDV survival in the environment. The study shows that roughly 44% of transmission occurs via the environment, as indicated by the reproduction ratio R0(2R)environment that equalled 2.0, whereas the sum of R0(2R)contact and R0(2R)environment equalled 4.6. Because vaccination 1 week prior to inoculation of the calves conferred protective immunity against FMDV infection, no transmission rate parameters could be estimated from the experiments with vaccinated calves. We conclude that a contaminated environment contributes considerably to the transmission of FMDV therefore that hygiene measures can play a crucial role in FMD control.
Central Veterinary Institute (CVI), part of Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands. carla.bravoderueda@wur.nl.|Department Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands. carla.bravoderueda@wur.nl.
Carla
C
Bravo de Rueda
Department Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands. mart.dejong@wur.nl.
Mart C M
MC
de Jong
Central Veterinary Institute (CVI), part of Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands. phaedra.eble@wur.nl.
Phaedra L
PL
Eblé
Central Veterinary Institute (CVI), part of Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands. aldo.dekker@wur.nl.
Aldo
A
Dekker
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005536:Foot-and-Mouth Disease / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D029544:Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014765:Viral Vaccines