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A commentary on a recent study argues that claims of foot-and-mouth disease virus recombination and accidental release in Egypt are based on insufficient sampling and compromised methodology.
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This commentary highlights methodological flaws and improbable conclusions in a recent study on foot-and-mouth disease virus strains and vaccines in Egypt.
Molecular epidemiology research on foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) viruses typically requires information on the study population and a sufficient number of samples for accurate detection and trending of serotypes and lineages in a region or country. Based on the study of Abdel Rahman et al. [1], this commentary is to draw the attention to insufficient sample size and limited geographical locations that represent the circulating field strains of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus in Egypt during 2016. Sequence analysis of one FMD vaccine sample produced locally in 2019 was compared to circulating strains in 2016, irrespective of time difference. While the epidemiological circumstances were different, the results showed absence of some viral vaccine antigens and suggested intertypic recombination and accidental virus release. These results may be associated with compromised sensitivities of the methods employed, irrelevant quality control procedures and improbable or far-fetched speculations. Also, anonymity of the analyzed product casts doubts on all locally produced vaccines in Egypt.
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Momtaz O. Wasfy (2021) conducted an editorial in Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Sequence analysis of FMD virus strains was evaluated. A commentary on a recent study argues that claims of foot-and-mouth disease virus recombination and accidental release in Egypt are based on insufficient sampling and compromised methodology.
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