Key result
Bactrian and New World camels are susceptible to foot and mouth disease, whereas dromedaries are not susceptible and do not transmit the infection.
Bactrian camels are susceptible to FMD, while dromedaries and New World camels have low or no susceptibility and do not pose a significant transmission risk.
Species-specific FMD susceptibility in camels informs targeted surveillance; leaves open field validation of transmission risk.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) remains the most important animal disease. The FMD virus is highly contagious and occurs almost exclusively among cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, Bactrian camels and swine. Old World camels (OWCs) and New World camels (NWCs) inhabit FMD-endemic countries in South America, North and East Africa, and the Middle and Far East. Results of experimental infection of OWCs with the virus, and several clinical observations from the field over a century, confirm that the two closely related camel species of Bactrian and dromedary camels possess noticeably different susceptibilities to FMD. It is now certain that Bactrian camels can contract the disease. In contrast, dromedaries are not susceptible to FMD and do not transmit infection, even when in close contact with susceptible animals. The susceptibility of NWCs to the FMD virus has been demonstrated in the field and in experimental infection trials. However, these animals are not very susceptible and do not represent a serious risk in transmitting FMD to susceptible animal species.
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Wernery et al. (2012) conducted a review in Foot and mouth disease (FMD). Foot and mouth disease virus was evaluated on Susceptibility to FMD. Bactrian and New World camels are susceptible to foot and mouth disease, whereas dromedaries are not susceptible and do not transmit the infection.
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