The duration of the foot-and-mouth disease virus carrier state in African buffalo (i) in the individual animal and (ii) in a free-living herd

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 1985;8(3-4):259-65. doi: 10.1016/0147-9571(85)90004-9.

Abstract

The maintenance of a virus depends on a number of factors, including the duration of infectivity and the size of the available host population. In this work, foot-and-mouth disease virus was shown to persist in individual African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) for up to at least five years; thus, the duration of infectivity is more than adequate to cover the normal periods between calving peaks. In a small isolated free-living population which varied from 30 to 100 buffalo, two immunological types of foot-and-mouth disease virus were maintained for at least 24 years and through several generations.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antelopes
  • Antibodies, Viral / analysis
  • Aphthovirus / immunology
  • Aphthovirus / isolation & purification*
  • Buffaloes / microbiology*
  • Carrier State / immunology
  • Carrier State / microbiology
  • Carrier State / veterinary*
  • Foot-and-Mouth Disease / immunology
  • Foot-and-Mouth Disease / microbiology*
  • Time Factors
  • Zimbabwe

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral