[Virus carriers in foot-and-mouth disease. Review]

FMDV infection can cause a long lasting virus carrier state in the oesophageal-pharyngeal (OP) region of cattle, sheep, goats, African buffalo, wildebeest and kudu. Virus can be recovered from OP fluids with low titres for several months up to more than 2 years. During this time phases of positive virus recovery are interrupted by negative phases. The number of virus carriers decreases as time progresses. The virus carrier state is always accompanied by FMDV antibodies in serum and OP fluid. Vaccinated animals also become virus carriers after FMDV infection, to the same extent as unvaccinated animals. No virus carrier state has been proven in pigs, but it cannot be excluded in some species of deer. Epizootic importance of carrier animals (in FMD) has not been found. Experimental contact transmissions of carrier virus to cattle, sheep and goats have failed. Only buffalo transmit carrier virus to the own species and perhaps to cattle. Nevertheless, virus carriers represent a natural reservoir of FMDV in infected areas and a potential source of antigenically altered virus variants, since continuous variations of the virus and selection of virus mutants take place in the animal during the carrier state.