Foot and mouth disease in camels [electronic resource]: role of camels in the epizootiology and transmission of foot and mouth disease in Egypt .

Includes references.

To study FMD in camels and investigate the role played by camels in epizootiology and transmission of the disease to cattle, 50 camel and 50 cattle (in contact with camels) were used. All these animals examined clinically virologicaly (virus isolation, VI) in addition to examination using molecular biology based technique (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR). VI and RT-PCR were performed two times one month apart. Clinical examination at the beginning of this work showed 3 camels suffered from excessive salivation while remainder of camels and all cattle were apparently healthy. After 30 day from contact between camels and cattle, salivation, nasal discharge in addition to rise of body temperature and lameness were recorded in 7 cattle and other animals were apparently healthy. In the 1 st VI, foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) was isolated from 14 camels while all cattle were negative for VI. FMDV was isolated from 17 camel in addition to 25 cattle in the 2nd VI. FMD viral RNA was identified in 19 camel while all examined cattle were negative for 1st RT-PCR. After performing 2nd RT-PCR, FMD viral RNA was observed in 24 camel and 27 cattle. 2 serotypes (0 and A) of FMDV were detected in camels and cattle and genetic relationship between FMDV in camels and cattle has been proved after using R T - PCR. Results of this work proved that RT-PCR is more sensitive than VI in diagnosis of FMD in camels and cattle in Egypt, in addition, this technique could be used in serotyping of FMDV and could be used in studying the genetic relationship between FMDV in camels and cattle. Therefore, RT-PCR enabled us to fellow up and knows the source of infection in this study. This work proved that FMDV is present and transmit between camels. in Egypt in spite of absence of any clinical signs in most infected camels and this is very dangerous factor from epizootiological point of view. Important role played by camels in epizootiology and transmission of FMD to cattle in Egypt has been proved in this study. This is the 1st study concerning the role of camels in transmission of FMD to cattle and the 1st to use RT-PC R in diagnosis, typing of FMDV in camels and study it’s genetic relationship with FMDV in cattle, in addition to the 1st recording of FMDV serotype A in camels in Egypt.

Summary in Arabic.