To identify tickborne viruses circulating in Kenya and the surrounding region, we conducted surveillance at abattoirs in Nairobi, Kenya. Species of ticks collected included Rhipicephalus pulchellus (56%), Amblyomma gemma (14%), R. appendiculatus (8%), A. variegatum (6%), and others. A total of 56 virus isolates were obtained, 26 from A. gemma, 17 from R. pulchellus, 6 from A. variegatum, and 7 ...

The role of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) carrier cattle in causing new outbreaks is still a matter of debate and it is important to find out these carrier animals by post-outbreak serosurveillance to declare freedom from FMDV infection. In this study we explore the differences in viral shedding between carrier and non-carrier animals, quantify the transmission rate of FMDV infection from...

In the present article we examine clonality in virus evolution. Most viruses retain an active recombination machinery as a potential means to initiate new levels of genetic exploration that go beyond those attainable solely by point mutations. However, despite abundant recombination that may be linked to molecular events essential for genome replication, herein we provide evidence that generati...

Previously, we finely mapped the neutralizing epitopes recognized by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) type Asia1-specific mAb 3E11 and FMDV type O-specific mAb 8E8. In this study, we engineered recombinant FMDVs of the serotype Asia1 (rFMDVs) displaying the type O-neutralizing epitope recognized by the mAb 8E8. These epitope-inserted viruses were genetically stable and exhibited growth prope...

This paper investigates the early viral dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) within infected pigs. Using an existing within-host model, we investigate whether individual variation can be explained by the effect of the initial dose of FMD virus. To do this, we consider the experimental data on the concentration of FMD virus genomes in the blood (viral load). In this experiment, 12 pigs were ...

Evidence for a mechanism of initiation of viral persistence in which the cell, and not the virus, plays a critical role has been obtained using the important animal pathogen foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). We have developed a virulence assay consisting of quantification of the ability of virus to kill cells and of cells to divide in the presence of virus and to initiate a carrier state. Ce...

A temperature-sensitive (ts) mutation was identified within the 5'-untranslated region of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) RNA. The mutation destabilizes a stem-loop structure recently identified as a cis-acting replication element (cre). Genetic analyses indicated that the ts defect in virus replication could be complemented. Thus, the FMDV cre can function in trans. It is suggested that th...

This review deals with the role of viruses in the aetiology of bovine mastitis. Bovine herpesvirus 1, bovine herpesvirus 4, foot-and-mouth disease virus, and parainfluenza 3 virus have been isolated from milk from cows with clinical mastitis. Intramammary inoculations of bovine herpesvirus 1 or parainfluenza 3 virus-induced clinical mastitis, while an intramammary inoculation of foot-and-mouth ...

An epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) causing a total of 23 cases in 1982-1983, primarily on the island of Funen, Denmark, was subjected to molecular epidemiological investigations. In an attempt to exploit the quasi-species nature of foot-and-mouth disease virus strains for molecular high-resolution strain identification in order to analyse the dynamics of this epidemic, full-length VP1 ...

Serological relationships between six type O FMD virus iso­ lates from different parts of India were studied using two-dimensional microneutralisation tests. All the strains in the study were shown to be related to the O5 subtype. The vaccine strain, O India 53/79, exhibited the broadest serological spectrum, although small differences were observed with isolates from Northern and Western India...