A study for Molecular Detection of Co-circulated Multiple FMDV Serotypes in Some Egyptian Governorates

Abstract

Despite the intensive application of foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination programs, the disease is still endemic in Egypt, with continuous outbreaks causing a devastating economic loss. The current study aimed to investigate and molecularly characterize FMDV strains among infected species. A total number of 104 samples, including epithelial tissues, saliva, and whole blood from suspected cases and apparent healthy cases (cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats) in Minya and Kafr El-Sheikh governorates. Conventional RT-PCR was applied, followed by phylogenetic analysis. The virus genome was successfully detected in 26 out of 58 (44.8%) of the samples collected from Minya governorate, compared to 22 out of 46 (47.8%) in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate. The infection percentage in the cattle species was (53.8-57.5%), the highest compared to the buffaloes (25-31.5%), followed by sheep. While, none of the goat samples were positive. The epithelial tissues were the most suitable sample type for virus detection. The virus was detected in 17.6- 33.3 % of the apparent health ones with no obvious clinical signs. Genetically, serotypes A and SAT2 were the circulating types, whereas serotype O was not identified. The serotypes A and SAT 2 sequences were related to Egyptian strains previously isolated during the period 2012-2014 and those reported in neighbors or African countries. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of continuous monitoring and characterization of newly emerging FMDV strains in Egypt, as well as the need to conduct matching studies between the vaccine strains and field isolates to achieve appropriate control measures against FMD outbreaks.