The following article is from Meatingplace:
USDA scientists identify site in cattle where FMD infection originates
By Tom Johnston on 12/14/2010
Scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service said they have identified where the virus that causes foot-and-mouth disease initiates infection in cattle, which could spur development of new vaccines to control and potentially eradicate the disease, the agency said in a news release.
Veterinary medical officer Jonathan Arzt, research leader Luis Rodriguez and microbiologist Juan Pacheco discovered that following a mere six hours of exposure to the FMD virus through the cow’s nasal passages, the virus selectively infects epithelial cells in the nasopharnyx, a specific region of the back of the animal’s throat.
“Because we have determined the actual route the FMD virus takes in infected cattle, we can now begin to target the virus-host interaction in an effort to develop better vaccines and biotherapeutic countermeasures against the disease,” Arzt said.
Current FMD vaccines offer only temporary immunity. No universal FMD vaccine exists. The AMS scientists said that because there are seven different types of FMD and more than 60 subtypes, vaccines must be highly specific to protect animals. Blocking the initial site of infection might be the most effective way to achieve full protection, they said.
The scientists are conducting additional research into why the particular epithelial cells are susceptible and how the initial infection site can be blocked.
“The answers to these questions will result in a new ear of FMD prevention in which highly effective vaccines will provide rapid and long-lasting immunity to even the most virulent strains of FMD virus,” Arzt said.
The research was published in the November issue of Veterinary Pathology.
Source: Meatingplace
Posted by Haylie Shipp
