Abstract
The surface exposed capsid proteins, VP1, VP2 and VP3, of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) determine its antigenicity and the ability of the virus to interact with host-cell receptors. Hence, modification of these structural proteins may alter the properties of the virus.In the present study we compared the pathogenicity of different FMDVs in young pigs. In total 32 pigs, 7-weeks-old, were exposed to virus, either by direct inoculation or through contact with inoculated pigs, using cell culture adapted (O1K B64), chimeric (O1K/A-TUR and O1K/O-UKG) or field strain (O-UKG/34/2001) viruses. The O1K B64 virus and the two chimeric viruses are identical to each other except for the capsid coding region.Animals exposed to O1K B64 did not exhibit signs of disease, while pigs exposed to each of the other viruses showed typical clinical signs of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). All pigs infected with the O1K/O-UKG chimera or the field strain (O-UKG/34/2001) developed fulminant disease. Furthermore, 3 of 4 in-contact pigs exposed to the O1K/O-UKG virus died in the acute phase of infection, likely from myocardial infection. However, in the group exposed to the O1K/A-TUR chimeric virus, only 1 pig showed symptoms of disease within the time frame of the experiment (10 days). All pigs that developed clinical disease showed a high level of viral RNA in serum and infected pigs that survived the acute phase of infection developed a serotype specific antibody response. It is concluded that the capsid coding sequences are determinants of FMDV pathogenicity in pigs.
Highlights
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the world’s most economically important infectious diseases of farm animals including cattle, pigs and sheep
Clinical signs of FMD within the pigs varied between the groups exposed to the cell culture adapted O1KB64, chimeric (O1K/O-UKG and O1K/ATUR) or field strain (O-UKG/34/2001) viruses
The results show that pigs inoculated with the cell culture adapted virus, O1K B64, or exposed to it by direct contact with the inoculated pigs (Group 1), did not develop any clinical signs of FMD
Summary
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the world’s most economically important infectious diseases of farm animals including cattle, pigs and sheep. The aetiological agent of FMD is foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) which is the prototype Aphthovirus within the family Picornaviridae. The virus can infect about 70 different wild life species and can spread rapidly causing high morbidity but only low mortality except in young animals [1]. The severity of the disease varies between hosts with pigs and cattle exhibiting clear clinical signs while infection in sheep is often difficult to detect by clinical observation. The disease in cattle and pigs follows a rapid time course and causes a rise in body temperature and the development of vesicular lesions in and around. VP1, VP2 and VP3 are exposed on the outer surface of the virus particle and they determine both the antigenicity of the virus and its ability to interact with specific receptors on cells
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