Virology: Current Research

Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Oman (2018-2023): Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors

Abstract

Wafa Ahmed Al-Rawahi, Elshafie Ibrahim Elshafie, Senan Baqir, Aliya Al-Ansari, Cindy Bernelin-Cottet, Labib Bakkali-Kassimi, Wafa Al Mamari, Zahra Al-Rashdi and Bahja Al Riyami*

Introduction: Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is endemic to the Sultanate of Oman and is characterized by recurring outbreaks that generally occur during the winter and spring seasons.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of FMD in domestic livestock and identify the potential risk factors associated with the disease.

Method: A total of 315 serum samples were collected from cattle (n=172), sheep (n=88) and goats (n=55) across ten governorates in Oman and tested for Non-Structural Proteins (NSP) using the 3ABC Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA). Univariate and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) seropositivity and hypothesized risk factors, including age, sex, animal species and vaccination status. 

Results: The overall seroprevalence of FMDV NSP was 43.5%, with the highest rate recorded in south governorate (59.7%), followed by the northern (44.6%) and interior governorates (34.9%). Age (p-value=0.001) and animal species (p-value=0.001) were significantly associated with FMDV NSP seropositivity. Animals above 3 years of age exhibited the highest positivity (61.2%), followed by those aged 1 years-3 years (31.6%) and those aged <1 year (25%). Old livestock (above 3 years) were more likely to be seropositive for FMD than younger counterparts (1 year) (OR=4.061, p-value=0.047, CI: 1.016-16.227). Cattle demonstrated a higher likelihood of seropositivity than sheep or goats (χ²=19.09, Pvalue=0.001). They were 2.763 times more likely to be infected than sheep (OR=2.763, p-value=0.006, CI: 1.345-5.676). 

Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of implementing effective quarantine control measures to minimize the risk of transboundary transmission of FMD associated with the importation of livestock from other endemic countries. Future studies should focus on the post-vaccination responses to field isolates.

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