Key result
Analysis of samples from 2012-2013 foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Ugandan cattle revealed the circulation of four different FMDV serotypes (O, A, SAT 1, and SAT 2), with 77% of tested sera positive for FMDV antibodies.
Observational (n=139)
FMD outbreaks in Uganda during 2012-2013 were caused by four different serotypes (O, A, SAT 1, SAT 2), highlighting the need for efficient outbreak strain determination and vaccine matching.
May support multivalent FMD vaccination in Uganda; leaves open optimal strain-matching strategies.
To investigate the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotypes circulating in Uganda's cattle population, both serological and virological analyses of samples from outbreaks that occurred during 2012-2013 were performed. Altogether, 79 sera and 60 oropharyngeal fluid (OP)/tissue/oral swab samples were collected from herds with reported FMD outbreaks in seven different Ugandan districts. Overall, 61/79 (77%) of the cattle sera were positive for antibodies against FMDV by PrioCHECK FMDV NS ELISA and solid phase blocking ELISA detected titres ≥ 80 for serotypes O, SAT 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3 in 41, 45, 30 and 45 of these 61 seropositive samples, respectively. Virus neutralisation tests detected the highest levels of neutralising antibodies (titres ≥ 45) against serotype O in the herds from Kween and Rakai districts, against SAT 1 in the herd from Nwoya district and against SAT 2 in the herds from Kiruhura, Isingiro and Ntungamo districts. The isolation of a SAT 2 FMDV from Isingiro was consistent with the detection of high levels of neutralising antibodies against SAT 2; sequencing (for the VP1 coding region) indicated that this virus belonged to lineage I within this serotype, like the currently used vaccine strain. From the Wakiso district 11 tissue/swab samples were collected; serotype A FMDV, genotype Africa (G-I), was isolated from the epithelial samples. This study shows that within a period of less than one year, FMD outbreaks in Uganda were caused by four different serotypes namely O, A, SAT 1 and SAT 2. Therefore, to enhance the control of FMD in Uganda, there is need for efficient and timely determination of outbreak virus strains/serotypes and vaccine matching. The value of incorporating serotype A antigen into the imported vaccines along with the current serotype O, SAT 1 and SAT 2 strains should be considered.
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Namatovu et al. (2015) conducted an observational in Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) (n=139). Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection was evaluated on Detection and characterization of FMDV serotypes. Analysis of samples from 2012-2013 foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Ugandan cattle revealed the circulation of four different FMDV serotypes (O, A, SAT 1, and SAT 2), with 77% of tested sera positive for FMDV antibodies.