Vet World Vol.18 January-2025 Article - 26
Research Article
Veterinary World, 18(1): 238-248
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.238-248
Genetic characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle in Northern Egypt
2. Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, 44511, Zagazig, Sharkia, Egypt.
3. Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, 35516, Mansoura, Dakahlia, Egypt.
4. Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
Background and Aim: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that poses significant economic threats to livestock globally. This study aimed to confirm the presence of FMD virus (FMDV) in Egyptian cattle and identify the predominant serotypes contributing to outbreaks in Sharkia and Dakahlia provinces in 2022.
Materials and Methods: A total of 65 cattle showing acute FMD symptoms were sampled. Desquamated epithelial tissues and oral secretions were analyzed using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with universal and serotype-specific primers. Seven representative samples underwent sequencing for phylogenetic and genetic variability analysis.
Results: All sampled animals tested positive for FMDV. Serotype A accounted for 72.3% of cases, while 27.7% were serotype O. Sequence analysis identified FMDV serotype A (African topotype, genotype IV) and serotype O (East Africa-3 topotype) as the outbreak-causing strains. The identified strains exhibited significant genetic divergence from the vaccine strains used in Egypt, with notable amino acid substitutions in the VP1 protein’s G-H loop. These mutations raise concerns about the efficacy of existing vaccines against current field strains.
Conclusion: The study highlights the ongoing threat of FMD in Egypt, particularly among smallholder cattle farmers. The genetic divergence between circulating FMDV and vaccine strains underscores the need to continuously monitor and update vaccine formulations to enhance disease control efforts. Implementing stricter animal movement regulations and tailored vaccination strategies is essential for effective management.
Keywords: foot-and-mouth disease, Egypt, cattle, FMDV serotypes, VP1 sequencing, vaccine efficacy.
How to cite this article: Yousef SG, El Damaty HM, Elsheikh HA, El-Shazly YA, Metwally E, and Atwa S (2025) Genetic characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle in Northern Egypt, Veterinary World, 18(1): 238–248.
Received: 2024-09-25 Accepted: 2024-12-23 Published online: 2025-01-30
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.238-248
Copyright: Yousef, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
