Foot and mouth disease virus NOTE: THIS TEST IS NOT PERFORMED ON SAMPLES TAKEN FROM ANIMALS OWNED OR LOCATED IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

Test code: S0156 - Ultrasensitive detection of foot and mouth disease virus by reverse transcription coupled real time PCR

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is caused by a virus that resides in the lymph nodes and bone marrow of infected animals. The virus is an aphthovirus belonging to the Picornaviridae family. Seven immunologically distinct serotypes have been described: A, O, C, Asia 1, and SAT (Southern African Territories) 1, 2, and 3. Within each serotype, there are a large number of strains that exhibit a spectrum of antigenic characteristics. More than one vaccine strain for each serotype, particularly O and A, is thus required to cover the antigenic diversity. 

Infected animals will develop fever and vesicles in the mouth and on the muzzle, teats, and feet. In a susceptible population, morbidity approaches 100%. Although infected animals can often recover, young animals can die. 

Ruminants and pigs are the two major natural hosts of food-and-mouth disease (FMD) viruses.  There are more than seventy mammalian species that are susceptible to this viral infection either under natural or experimental conditions.  Only reptiles, amphibians, and fishes are naturally resistant to infection. 

Domestic birds (chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks and geese) can be infected with some strains of FMD viruses by experimental inoculation and may develop lesions suggestive of FMD such as vesicular lesions on the comb, wattles, eye lids, and feet.  Chickens can get infected by ingestion of virus under conditions of natural exposure. Domestic birds kept in free-run systems thus may serve as vectors to pass the virus to other nearby birds. Free-living birds, especially starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), seagulls (Larus canus) and house sparrows (Passer domesticus), have been experimentally infected and developed vesicular lesions on the skin and mucosal membranes of the mouth.  These migrating birds may serve as vectors to carry the virus to distant places. 

The virus can survive in contaminated fodder (dry hay and other forages) for up to one month. It can also be carried many miles away by the wind. Thus the disease is highly communicable and an infected herd can have a devastating effect on neighboring farms and barns. 

Although virus isolation and serology testing have been used to diagnose the infection, molecular detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is often used because of its high specificity and sensitivity.

Utilities:

• Help confirm the disease causing agent
• Identify foot and mouth disease carriers
• Screen research materials for the presence of foot and mouth disease
• Help ensure that animal groups are free of foot and mouth disease
• Early prevention of spread of the virus among animals
• Minimize human exposure to the virus
• Safety monitoring of biological products that derive from susceptible animals

References:
Longjam, N., Deb, R., Sarmah, A. K., Tayo, T., Awachat,V. B. and Saxena, V.K. (2011) A Brief Review on Diagnosis of Foot-and-Mouth Disease of Livestock: Conventional to Molecular Tools. Vet. Med.  Int. 2011: 905768.

Specimen requirements: Lesion swab, or nasal swab, or 0.2 ml cell culture, or 0.2 ml whole blood in EDTA (purple top) tube, or 0.2 ml tissue.

Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Qualitative reverse transcription coupled real time PCR

Normal range: Nondetected