A dynamic, optimal disease control model for foot-and-mouth disease: I. Model description

A dynamic optimization model was developed and used to evaluate alternative foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) control strategies. The model chose daily control strategies of depopulation and vaccination that minimized total regional cost for the entire epidemic duration, given disease dynamics and resource constraints. The disease dynamics and the impacts of control strategies on these dynamics were characterized in a set of difference equations; effects of movement restrictions on the disease dynamics were also considered. The model was applied to a three-county region in the Central Valley of California; the epidemic relationships were parameterized and validated using the information obtained from an FMD simulation model developed for the same region. The optimization model enables more efficient searches for desirable control strategies by considering all strategies simultaneously, providing the simulation model with optimization results to direct it in generating detailed predictions of potential FMD outbreaks.     

FMDV OA/58病毒株VP1蛋白结构构建与B细胞抗原表位的预测

以口蹄疫病毒株OA/58 RNA为模板,反转录并扩增目的cDNA,然后与pGEM-T easy载体连接并转化JM109菌株,提取的重组质粒用凝胶电泳、PCR和EcoR Ⅰ酶切法鉴定.运用同源模建得到OA/58 VP1蛋白3D结构,并结合理化性质、亲水性、可塑性和免疫原性进行分析,预测OA/58 VP1的抗原表位.结果 OA/58 VP1存在多个潜在的抗原表位位点,可能的蛋白质抗原表位区域:2～11,15～35,38～50,77～88,90～107,121～125,131～135,140～149,154～163,169～175,178～189,197～213.应用同源模建得到的OA/58 VP1蛋白3D模型来预测其B细胞表位,为进一步研究OA/58 VP1功能,构建突变体和选择表达新型OA/58 VP1蛋白分子提供有参考价值的信息.     

农村散养猪口蹄疫免疫方法研究

[目的]为了制定在农村散养条件下猪口蹄疫控制的疫苗免疫策略。[方法]研究猪口蹄疫O型和亚洲I型母源抗体、口蹄疫免疫后抗体消长规律和猪瘟与口蹄疫免疫干扰。[结果]结果表明,仔猪口蹄疫O型母源抗体能保护15日龄内仔猪,而亚I抗体不能保护仔猪。2 ml免疫剂量组的O型和亚I抗体水平均明显高于1ml免疫剂量组,1次免疫接种不能形成免疫反应的抗体平台期,抗体效价迅速下降;2次免疫接种后60 d达到峰值,O型和I型抗体滴度维持长达60 d以上;猪瘟和口蹄疫疫苗同时免疫相互不发生干扰。[结论]结合农村散养实际情况,为提高免疫保护力,建议实行30日龄同时首免口蹄疫和猪瘟,间隔28 d进行二免,每次免疫剂量口蹄疫为2 ml/头,猪瘟为2头份/头。     

FMDV OA/58病毒株VP3蛋白结构的模拟与分析

以口蹄疫病毒株OA／58 RNA为模板，反转录并扩增目的cDNA，然后与pMD18-T载体连接并转化JM109菌株，提取的重组质粒用凝胶电泳、PCR和BarnHⅠ、HindⅢ双酶切法鉴定。分析表明，口蹄疫病毒VP1、VP2、VP3和VP4在核苷酸水平上的变异率是无差异的（P〉0．05）；而它们在氨基酸水平上的变异率差异显著（P〈0．05）。该毒株与20株源于GenBank中的VP3氨基酸序列比较发现其保守区主要位于第1～24、26～35、37～43、45～57、61～122、124～173、175～209、211～220位。运用同源模建，OA／58 VP3蛋白三维空间结构可分为A，B，C3个结构区域。保守区氨基酸残基在维持VP3蛋白的空间构象和功能方面具有重要作用。     

基因芯片技术及口蹄疫病毒基因芯片研究进展

口蹄疫的暴发与流行给世界各国的畜牧生产、社会经济和国际贸易构成严重威胁并造成巨大的经济损失，经典的血清学和PCR检测方法越来越不适应进出口动物检疫的快速、准确、高通量的要求。建立一种快速的诊断方法，使其在很短时间能够区别各血清型口蹄疫和其他水泡性疾病是非常必要的。口蹄疫病毒基因芯片包括155个寡核苷酸探针，总长35bp-45bp，设计在VP3-VPl-2A区，既有共有的病毒型别，也包含特异的血清型别。这项技术的优点是能在单一的芯片上检测多元病原体。     

A multi-analysis approach for space–time and economic evaluation of risks related with livestock diseases: The example of FMD in Peru

This study presents a multi-disciplinary decision-support tool, which integrates geo-statistics, social network analysis (SNA), spatial-stochastic spread model, economic analysis and mapping/visualization capabilities for the evaluation of the sanitary and socio-economic impact of livestock diseases under diverse epidemiologic scenarios. We illustrate the applicability of this tool using foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Peru as an example. The approach consisted on a flexible, multistep process that may be easily adapted based on data availability. The first module (mI) uses a geo-statistical approach for the estimation (if needed) of the distribution and abundance of susceptible population (in the example here, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and camelids) at farm-level in the region or country of interest (Peru). The second module (mII) applies SNA for evaluating the farm-to-farm contact patterns and for exploring the structure and frequency of between-farm animal movements as a proxy for potential disease introduction or spread. The third module (mIII) integrates mI–II outputs into a spatial-stochastic model that simulates within- and between-farm FMD-transmission. The economic module (mIV) connects outputs from mI–III to provide an estimate of associated direct and indirect costs. A visualization module (mV) is also implemented to graph and map the outputs of module I–IV. After 1000 simulated epidemics, the mean (95% probability interval) number of outbreaks, infected animals, epidemic duration, and direct costs were 37 (1, 1164), 2152 (1, 13, 250), 63 days (0, 442), and US$ 1.2 million (1072, 9.5 million), respectively. Spread of disease was primarily local (<4.5 km), but geolocation and type of index farm strongly influenced the extent and spatial patterns of an epidemic. The approach is intended to support decisions in the last phase of the FMD eradication program in Peru, in particular to inform and support the implementation of risk-based surveillance and livestock insurance systems that may help to prevent and control potential FMD virus incursions into Peru.     

Risk factors for foot-and-mouth disease in Zambia, 1981–2012

The aim of this study was to describe the spatial distribution of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Zambia for the period January 1981–December 2012 and to quantify the association between geographical features (proximity to roads, national parks, wetland areas) and the spatial distribution of FMD using a Poisson point process model.     

Evaluation of cross-protection against three topotypes of serotype O foot-and-mouth disease virus in pigs vaccinated with multi-epitope protein vaccine incorporated with poly(I:C)

Epitope-based vaccines are always questioned for their cross-protection against the antigenically variable foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). In this study, we proved the cross-protection effect of a multi-epitope vaccine incorporated with poly(I:C) against three topotypes of O type FMDV. A total of 45 naïve pigs were vaccinated with different doses of multi-epitope protein vaccine incorporated with poly(I:C). At 28 days post-vaccination, 45 vaccinated and 6 unvaccinated control pigs (two pigs for each group) were challenged with three topotypes of virulent O type FMDV, namely, O/Mya/98 (Southeast Asia topotype), O/HN/CHA/93 (Cathay topotype) and O/Tibet/CHA/99 (PanAsia topotype) strains. All unvaccinated pigs developed generalised FMD clinical signs. Results showed that all pigs (n = 15) conferred complete protection against the O/Mya/98 and O/HN/CHA/93 FMDV strains, 11 of which were protected against the O/Tibet/CHA/99 FMDV strain. The 50% protective dose values of the vaccine against the O/Mya/98, O/HN/CHA/93 and O/Tibet/CHA/99 FMDV strains were 15.59, 15.59 and 7.05, respectively. Contact challenge experiment showed that transmission occurred from the donors to the unvaccinated but not to vaccinated pigs. These results showed that vaccination with multi-epitope protein vaccine incorporated with poly(I:C) can efficiently prevent FMD in pigs.     

口蹄疫流行病学及感染机制的研究进展

口蹄疫(Foot-and-mouth disease FMD)是由口蹄疫病毒(Foot-and-mouth disease virus FMDV)引起偶蹄动物的一种急性、热性、高度接触性传染病。FMDV有多种血清型及其亚型,目前主要引起动物致病的就有7种,即A、O、C、SATⅠ、SATⅡ、SATⅢ和亚洲Ⅰ型(AsiaⅠ型)。病毒通常在细胞受体的参与下才入侵宿主细胞,进行扩增生命循环,感染宿主细胞,使得该病得以广泛流行。但由于口蹄疫病毒的高度变异性和适应性而在流行中出现新的特点,以及被发现的病毒在动物体内和细胞中长期存在而引发FMDV的持续感染等问题,使得本病不能有效被控制而在许多国家和地区重新暴发和流行。为此本文将口蹄疫病原学、流行病学、病毒细胞受体及其病毒在体内持续感染形成的原因方面进行的论述,为口蹄疫病毒感染机制的研究提供了科学的依据。     

An investigation of 11 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in villages in northern Thailand

The results of investigations of 11 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in villages in northern Thailand are described. The causative virus was Asia in one in seven outbreaks, Type O in two outbreaks and unknown in two outbreaks. The most probable sources of the outbreaks were co-mingling of cattle and/or buffalo with livestock from an infected neighbouring village (four) and recent introductions of infected cattle from a public livestock market (two) while the probable source could not be determined in five outbreaks. Attack rates in cattle and buffalo ranged from 0.28% to 50.9% but no pigs became sick during any of the outbreaks. Most outbreaks lasted 4 weeks or less. Adult cattle and buffalo were at higher risk of becoming a case when compared with work cattle. Beef cattle were at higher risk than buffalo and adult cattle and buffalo were at higher risk than calves less than 1 year of age. There was significant clustering of cases within households. Serological investigations indicated that many unaffected animals were probably not exposed to virus during the outbreaks. We concluded that close contact between animals was the main method of spread and that differences in attack rates between animal classes reflected differences in animal management. We further concluded that simple quarantine of early cases during outbreaks is likely to be effective in reducing spread within and between villages.