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Detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus in healthy cattle and buffalo at Southeast Asian slaughterhouses
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  • Kelly Buckle,
  • Rudolfo Bueno,
  • Andrew McFadden,
  • Mary van Andel,
  • Richard Spence,
  • Carolyn Hamill,
  • Wendi Roe ,
  • Emilie Vallee,
  • Fernanda Castillo-Alcala,
  • Ronel Abila,
  • Blesilda Verin,
  • Bolortuya Purevsuren,
  • Ashish Sutar,
  • Htun Htun Win,
  • Myo Thiha,
  • Khin Ohnmar Lwin,
  • Syseng Khounsy,
  • Sengxay Phonthasy,
  • Viliddeth Souriya,
  • Chattouphone Keokhamphet,
  • Jonathan Arzt,
  • Anna Ludi,
  • Valerie Mioulet
Kelly Buckle
New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries

Corresponding Author:kelly.buckle@mpi.govt.nz

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Rudolfo Bueno
Ministry for Primary Industries
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Andrew McFadden
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Mary van Andel
New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries
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Richard Spence
Ministry for Primary Industries
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Carolyn Hamill
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Wendi Roe
Massey University, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences
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Emilie Vallee
Massey University Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences EpiCentre
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Fernanda Castillo-Alcala
Massey University, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences
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Ronel Abila
OIE
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Blesilda Verin
OIE
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Bolortuya Purevsuren
OIE
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Ashish Sutar
OIE
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Htun Htun Win
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
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Myo Thiha
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
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Khin Ohnmar Lwin
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
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Syseng Khounsy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
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Sengxay Phonthasy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
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Viliddeth Souriya
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
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Chattouphone Keokhamphet
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
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Jonathan Arzt
Plum Island Animal Disease Center
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Anna Ludi
The Pirbright Institute
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Valerie Mioulet
The Pirbright Institute
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Abstract

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is widespread throughout much of the world, including parts of South East Asia. As part of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)’s South East Asia and China Foot‐and‐Mouth Disease Project (SEACFMD), field sampling was performed to help understand evidence of widespread virus exposure observed previously. Serum and dry mucosal swabs were collected to evaluate the presence of FMDV RNA on the nasal, oral, and dorsal nasopharyngeal mucosal surfaces of 262 healthy cattle (n=38 in Laos; n=47 in Myanmar) and buffalo (n=12 in Laos; n=2 in Myanmar) immediately following slaughter in three slaughterhouses. Swabs and serum were tested by the OIE FMD world reference laboratory using pan‐serotypic real‐time reverse transcription‐PCR (RT‐PCR) and serum was evaluated using the FMD PrioCHECK non-structural protein (NSP) ELISA. In total, 7.3% of animals had detectable FMDV RNA in one or more of the three sites including 5.3% of nasopharyngeal swabs, 2.3% of oral swabs, and 1.5% of nasal swabs. In all animals, serum was found not to contain detectable FMDV RNA, and 37.8% of animals were positive for NSP antibodies, indicating likely past exposure to FMDV. Results were comparable for Laos and Myanmar, and were similar for both cattle and buffalo. The current study demonstrates the utility of detection by swabbing the nasopharynx in the post-mortem context, in situations such as post-mortem where probang samples are not feasible. Additionally, FMDV present on the oral and nasal mucosa of clinically-healthy large ruminants in Laos and Myanmar, if viable, may potentially play a role in the epidemiology of FMD in these countries, and perhaps more widely within Southeast Asia.