Ghougal Khireddine, Azizi Abdennour, Baghezza Sameh
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University Amar Telidji Laghouat, 03000, Laghouat, Algeria.
Department of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Sciences and Agricultural Sciences Institute, University of Batna 1, 05000, Batna, Algeria.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2025 Apr 11;57(3):167. doi: 10.1007/s11250-025-04413-8.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cattle with significant economic impact. This cross-sectional field study aims to determine the current serological status of FMD in Algerian cattle herds. The objectives were: to evaluate post-vaccination antibody responses to non-structural proteins (NSPs) in vaccinated cattle under the Algerian FMD control program, and to identify circulating Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) strains while assessing vaccine efficacy. From September to November 2019, we collected 573 blood samples from clinically healthy, vaccinated cattle four weeks post-vaccination. Differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals was accomplished through detection of antibodies against NSPs using the FMDV 3ABC-AB ELISA assay for serotype determination. Results revealed that 112 samples (19.55%) tested positive for FMDV NSP antibodies, while 461 samples (80.45%) were negative. Only serotype O was identified among the positive samples. Sex (OR = 12.01; 95% CI: [5.60-25.75]) and age (OR = 9.38; 95% CI: [5.72-15.39]) were identified as significant risk factors for infection susceptibility. This study provides the first data on FMD prevalence and highlights the current serological status in Algeria. Our findings suggest the existing vaccination scheme requires optimization based on regional risk assessment and serological monitoring. We recommend implementing animal identification for traceability, cross-border surveillance, and molecular-spatial modeling to target interventions in high-risk areas.
口蹄疫（FMD）是一种具有高度传染性的病毒性疾病，会对牛群造成重大经济影响。这项横断面实地研究旨在确定阿尔及利亚牛群中口蹄疫的当前血清学状况。其目标是：评估在阿尔及利亚口蹄疫防控计划下，接种疫苗的牛对非结构蛋白（NSPs）的疫苗接种后抗体反应；在评估疫苗效力的同时，识别正在传播的口蹄疫病毒（FMDV）毒株。2019年9月至11月，我们在接种疫苗四周后，从临床健康的接种疫苗牛身上采集了573份血样。通过使用FMDV 3ABC-AB ELISA检测法检测针对NSPs的抗体来区分感染动物和接种疫苗的动物，以确定血清型。结果显示，112份样本（19.55%）口蹄疫病毒NSP抗体检测呈阳性，而461份样本（80.45%）为阴性。在阳性样本中仅鉴定出O型血清型。性别（OR = 12.01；95% CI：[5.60 - 25.75]）和年龄（OR = 9.38；95% CI：[5.72 - 15.39]）被确定为感染易感性的重要风险因素。本研究提供了关于口蹄疫流行率的首批数据，并突出了阿尔及利亚当前的血清学状况。我们的研究结果表明，现有的疫苗接种方案需要根据区域风险评估和血清学监测进行优化。我们建议实施动物标识以进行可追溯性管理、跨境监测以及分子空间建模，以便在高风险地区进行有针对性的干预。
