Open Access
Research (Published online: 24-03-2020)
22. Molecular characterization of foot-and-mouth disease viruses collected from Northern and Central Ethiopia during the 2018 outbreak
Yeneneh Tesfaye, Fazlurrahman Khan and Esayas Gelaye
Veterinary World, 13(3): 542-548

Yeneneh Tesfaye: Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India; Department of Research and Development, National Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box: 19, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
Fazlurrahman Khan: Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India; Institute of Food Science, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, South Korea.
Esayas Gelaye: Department of Research and Development, National Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box: 19, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.

doi: www.doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2020.542-548

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Article history: Received: 31-10-2019, Accepted: 11-02-2020, Published online: 24-03-2020

Corresponding author: Fazlurrahman Khan

E-mail: fazlurrahman.khan@sharda.ac.in

Citation: Tesfaye Y, Khan F, Gelaye E (2020) Molecular characterization of foot-and-mouth disease viruses collected from Northern and Central Ethiopia during the 2018 outbreak, Veterinary World, 13(3): 542-548.
Abstract

Background and Aim: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in several developing countries and affects poor farmers through loss of production, death of diseased animals, and loss of animal byproducts. Forty-three samples were collected from 12 sites of five geographical located areas from suspected FMD virus (FMDV)-infected cattle during 2018. This study aimed to isolate and characterize the FMDVs using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and gene sequencing.

Materials and Methods: Forty-three FMDV-suspected clinical samples cultured on BHK-21 cell were examined, followed by virus serotype identification using RT-PCR and gene sequencing.

Results: Twenty-nine (67.44%) samples were cultured on BHK-21 cell, of which 14 (32.56%) were not isolated; the 43 samples were analyzed using FMDV screening primers and serotype-specific primers. The contribution of the disease-causing serotype was serotype O of 8 (18.60%) samples, serotype A of 20 (46.51%) samples, and mixed infection (O and A) of 1 (2.33%) sample. Serotypes O and A were further characterized by phylogenetic analysis, which grouped them under East Africa 3 and Africa topotypes of genotype IV, respectively. Interestingly, serotype A was isolated for the 1st time from Keyet sub-woreda and Mulo woreda of Ethiopia, and mixed serotypes (O and A) were identified from the purchased animal.

Conclusion: Molecular test result, sequencing, and phylogenetic tree reconstruction analysis revealed that the 2018 FMD outbreak in Ethiopia was caused by FMDV serotypes O and A. FMDV serotype A was the predominant strain circulating in most study areas of the country. Infections in one sample with mixed serotypes of O and A were also reported. The authors recommend a vaccine matching study of those field isolated viruses with the vaccine strain.

Keywords: Ethiopia, foot-and-mouth disease virus serotypes, phylogenetic analysis, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.