Key result
The average rate of hoof horn growth was higher in uninfected lambs compared to ewes, providing a metric to estimate the time of foot-and-mouth disease infection from linear hoof defects.
Observational (n=10)
No
Linear hoof defects in sheep can be used to estimate the time of foot-and-mouth disease infection based on hoof horn growth rates.
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During the epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in The Netherlands in 2001, a sheep farm was identified that had been subclinically infected with the disease. The FMD virus genome was detected in 12 of 16 probang samples collected from the sheep and the virus was isolated from four of these samples. Linear defects were observed, 1 to 3 cm from the coronary band, in the hooves of several of the sheep. The defects were thought to have been caused by the FMD infection. It was thought that the distance of the defects from the coronary band might be an indication of the time since the animals had been infected. To determine the growth rate of the claws of sheep, the growth of the hoof horn of uninfected lambs and ewes was measured; in the lambs the growth rate was 0.44 mm per day and in the ewes it was 0.29 mm per day.
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May enable retrospective FMD timing estimates in sheep; leaves open prospective validation before clinical adoption.
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Dekker et al. (2005) conducted an observational in Foot-and-mouth disease (n=10). Young age (lambs) vs. Adult age (ewes) was evaluated on Average rate of hoof horn growth (mm/day) (p=<0.01). The average rate of hoof horn growth was higher in uninfected lambs compared to ewes, providing a metric to estimate the time of foot-and-mouth disease infection from linear hoof defects.
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