Veterinary Science & Technology

Antigenic Characteristic and Immune Response of Host to Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Abstract

Ephrem Shimelis

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is the contagious viral disease of mammals and causing severe economic loss in susceptible clovenhoofed animals. It is categorized as list “A” disease according to OIE disease classifications. It is the causative agent of a highly infectious zoonotic vesicular disease that infects lung epithelial cells in respiratory tract of cloven-hoofed livestock including: sheep, goats, cattle and pigs. FMDV replication associated viral protein expression induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR), in turn inducing autophagy to restore cellular homeostasis. The disease is characterize by fever, vesicular lesions and erosion in the mouth and on the tongue, muzzle, feet and teats and cause great economic losses in the affected countries and they involve an extensive threat for rapid and wide spreads. The virus enters a new susceptible animal either orally or via the respiratory tract (especially cattle). Aerosol transmission is the major means of animal-to-animal spread within premises.