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Understanding the transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus at different scales
David J Paton1, Simon Gubbins1, Donald P King1
1The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey GU24 0NF, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is highly infectious, but despite the large quantities of FMD virus released into the environment and the extreme susceptibility of host species to infection, transmission is not always predictable. Whereas virus spread in endemic settings is characterised by frequent direct and indirect animal contacts, incursions into FMD-free countries may be seeded by low-probability events such as fomite or wind-borne aerosol routes. There remains a void between data generated from small-scale experimental studies and our ability to reliably reconstruct transmission routes at different scales between farms, countries and regions. This review outlines recent transmission studies in susceptible host species, and considers new approaches that integrate virus genomics and epidemiological data to recreate and understand the spread of FMD.
Insights
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) transmission is unpredictable, even with high virus shedding and host susceptibility. This review explores new methods integrating virus genomics and epidemiology to understand FMD spread.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Epidemiology
- Disease Ecology
Background:
- Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals.
- Predicting FMD transmission dynamics remains challenging despite known high susceptibility and environmental virus load.
- Current understanding struggles to bridge small-scale experimental data with large-scale epidemiological reconstruction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent studies on FMD transmission in susceptible host species.
- To explore novel approaches for reconstructing FMD transmission routes.
- To integrate virus genomics and epidemiological data for a comprehensive understanding of FMD spread.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on FMD transmission studies.
- Analysis of experimental data on virus spread in host species.
- Exploration of integrated approaches combining molecular (genomics) and epidemiological data.
Main Results:
- FMD transmission is influenced by both direct/indirect contacts in endemic areas and low-probability events (fomites, aerosols) in FMD-free regions.
- A gap exists in reliably reconstructing transmission at various scales (farm, country, region).
- Integrating virus genomics with epidemiological data offers a promising avenue for improved transmission reconstruction.
Conclusions:
- Understanding FMD spread requires a multi-faceted approach, combining biological and epidemiological insights.
- Novel integrated methods are crucial for accurately mapping FMD transmission pathways.
- Further research integrating genomics and epidemiology will enhance FMD control strategies.
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