Serological evidence of natural exposure of camels Camelus dromedaries to foot and mouth disease virus

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Code chapter on FMD includes camelids as being susceptible species to FMD similar to cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. A total of 376 field camel sera, collected from different regions of Riyadh and Al-Qassim Province in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were screened for the presence of antibodies produced against 3ABC non- structural proteins (NSP) of FMDV using a commercially available kit , PrioCHECK FMDV NS. Sera that tested positive on NSP were screened for serotype-specific antibodies towards the seven serotypes of FMD virus using liquid phase blocking ELISA. Only 24 out of 376 (6.3%) serum samples were positive for antibodies against NSP. All sera that tested positive on NSP and screened for antibodies against all the seven FMDV serotypes (O, A, C, Asia 1, SAT 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3) were found positive for antibodies against serotype O. This reveals that dromedaries appear however as being susceptible to infection with FMDV serotype O, but they are unlikely to play any significant role in the natural epidemiology of FMD.