Epizootiology and control measurements of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Saudi Arabia from 1999 to 2004 [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Over a period of five years from July 1999 to June 2004, five outbreaks of FMD serotype 0 and one outbreak of FMD serotype SAT 2 were reported among livestock in Saudi Arabia. Four out of the six outbreaks were limited to cattle, while the other two outbreaks were expanded to all livestock including cattle, sheep and goats. Two extensive outbreaks of FMD virus serotype 0 were recorded in the five regions of the country (central, eastern, western, northern and southern regions) in February-April/2001 and August/2001-November/2001. While two out of three limited outbreaks of FMDV serotype 0 were occurred only in the central region in October-November/1999 and in March-ApriI12000. The last outbreak was reported recently in the southern region (Jizan) in June/2004. Infection with FMDV serotype SAT 2 was reported for the first time in Saudi Arabia during an outbreak of FMDV serotype 0 in the central region (AL-Karj, Riyadh) on March-April/2000. Morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates during six FMD outbreaks from 1999 to 2004 in Saudi Arabia were calculated. The most common clinical symptoms were high fever, anorexia, vesicular stomatitis, vesicular dermatitis in coronet and cleft of feet, teat and udder. Indirect sandwich- enzyme linked immunesorbent assay (IS)-ELISA was used for detection and typing of FMD virus in the collected tissue specimens. Some selected tissue specimens which given positive result to FMD virusantigen detection by indirect sandwich-ELISA were submitted to FMD reference world laboratory, Pribright, UK for determination of the antigenic relationship between field and vaccinal strains. Where, A 167 bp fragment, of VPI gene 472-639, was amplified and sequenced. The results indicated that field strains of FMD virus serotype 0 isolated from different regions in Saudi Arabia during FMD outbreaks between July 1999 and January 2002 were homolgous and closely related to 01 monisa strain of FMDV serotype 0 that already incorporated in formulation of Saudi vaccine against FMD. The current study concluded that national vaccination program against FMD in Saudi Arabia should be strictly continue in traditional cattle population in all the kingdom regions. Legalization of the restriction of the animal movement should be practiced for cattle, sheep and goats populations during the risk period of FMD in different localities in SA. Absence of FMD outbreaks in SA between May12002 and May/2004 may act as an indicator for the success of the applied control measures. Molecular epidemiological studies and monitoring of the relationship between the vaccine and the field viruses should be continued.

Summary in Arabic.