Antigenic structure of foot and mouth disease virus type A22 (Indian isolates).

Variations in foot and mouth disease virus are due to amino acid substitutions in the VP1, which is a major immunogen. Analysis of this hypervariable region is essential to know the antigenic structure of the serotype and is necessary to select a suitable vaccine strain. FMDV type A22 is one of the four prevailing virus types for which the vaccine is used regularly. To understand the antigenic structure of this type, carboxy- terminal region of VP1 from two field isolates and vaccine virus were sequenced and analysed. The results indicate that, Indian A22 has distinct antigenic structure.