Foot-and-mouth disease virus
(FMDV) affects both ruminants and pigs. Some ruminants (but not pigs) become persistently infected with FMDV even though the animals have recovered from the disease. We call these individuals 'carriers'. Such infections can persist for many months or even years. The carriers are a danger because they have the potential to spread live virus to susceptible animals. Consequently, their occurrence significantly constrains trade in live susceptible animals and their products. Unfortunately, a vaccinated ruminant that has had contact with live virus can also become a carrier. If the threat presented by carriers could be reduced or prevented, the reluctance to use vaccine to help control an outbreak of FMD in a previously FMD-free country would no longer be justified, and trade constraints on FMD-infected countries that regularly vaccinate could be reduced.
We focus on the mechanisms of the disease process (pathogenesis), persistence, and transmission of FMDV and swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV). Greater understanding of the fundamentals of these processes will feed through to the development of improved vaccines and better control strategies.
Publications
- Z. Zhang and J.B. Bashiruddin. (2007). Quantitative analysis of foot-and-mouth disease virus RNA duration in tissues of experimentally infected pigs.
The Vet. Journal (in press).
[Abstract].
- Z. Zhang, R. Ahmed, D Paton and J.B. Bashiruddin (2007). Cytokine mRNA responses in bovine epithelia during foot-and-mouth disease virus infection.
The Vet. Journal (in press).
- E. Ryan, J. Horsington, S. Durand, H. Brooks, S. Alexandersena, J. Brownlie, Z. Zhang. (2007)
Foot-and-mouth disease virus infection in young lambs: pathogenesis and tissue tropism. Vet.Microb.(in press). [Abstract]
- J. Horsington and Z. Zhang (2007).
Consistent change in the B-C loop of VP2 observed in foot-and-mouth disease virus from persistently infected cattle: implications for association with persistence.
Virus Res. 125: 114-118
[Abstract].
- J. Horsington and Z. Zhang (2007). Analysis of foot-and-mouth disease virus replication using strand-specific quantitative RT-PCR.
J. Virological Methods, 144 :149-155 [Abstract]
- E. Ryan, Z. Zhang, H. Brooks, J. Horsington, J. Brownlie (2007) Foot-and-mouth disease virus crosses the placenta and causes death in foetal lambs.
J. Comp. Path, 136 : 256-265.