Isolation and characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus from Odisha, India

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and rapidly transmissible disease of cloven footed animals. Emergence of genetically divergent strains of FMD virus (FMDV) is a major concern globally. FMD is endemic in India and three serotypes (O, A and Asia 1) prevail. The study was undertaken to characterize the isolates from the state of Odisha, India both genetically and antigenically. FMDV was detected in 7 of the 17 clinical samples collected from FMD affected/suspected animals, in which serotype O and A were found in three and four samples, respectively. Serotype O field isolates clustered in an unnamed group (designated here as Eastern cluster) circulating mostly in the Eastern region of the country and had 10-12.7% divergence from the Ind2001 lineage circulating predominantly throughout the country. The serotype A isolates sequenced in this study was grouped within VP3⁵⁹-deletion group of genotype 18, precisely in clade 18c, having high genetic homology to the virus circulating in the neighboring states, suggesting interstate movement. Both the serotype O and A isolates showed good antigenic relationship value with the respective vaccine strains currently used in the country.