Detection and Molecular Characterization of Foot and Mouth Disease Viruses from Outbreaks in Some States of Northern Nigeria 2013-2015

D O Ehizibolo; A Haegeman; A R De Vleeschauwer; J U Umoh; H M Kazeem; E C Okolocha; S Van Borm; K De Clercq

doi:10.1111/tbed.12602

Detection and Molecular Characterization of Foot and Mouth Disease Viruses from Outbreaks in Some States of Northern Nigeria 2013-2015

Transbound Emerg Dis. 2017 Dec;64(6):1979-1990. doi: 10.1111/tbed.12602. Epub 2017 Jan 17.

Authors

D O Ehizibolo^{1

2}, A Haegeman³, A R De Vleeschauwer³, J U Umoh², H M Kazeem⁴, E C Okolocha², S Van Borm⁵, K De Clercq³

Affiliations

¹ FMD Laboratory, Viral Research Division, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Nigeria.
² Department of Veterinary Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
³ Vesicular and Exotic Diseases Unit, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA), Brussels, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
⁵ Molecular Platform, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA), Brussels, Belgium.

PMID: 28097814
DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12602

Abstract

Control measures for foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Nigeria have not been implemented due to the absence of locally produced vaccines and risk-based analysis resulting from insufficient data on the circulating FMD virus (FMDV) serotypes/strains. In 2013-2015, blood and epithelial samples were collected from reported FMD outbreaks in four states (Kaduna, Kwara, Plateau and Bauchi) in northern Nigeria. FMDV non-structural protein (NSP) seroprevalence for the outbreaks was estimated at 80% (72 of 90) and 70% (131 of 188) post-outbreak. Antibodies against FMDV serotypes O, A, SAT1, SAT2 and SAT3 were detected across the states using solid-phase competitive ELISA. FMDV genome was detected in 99% (73 of 74) of the samples from FMD-affected animals using rRT-PCR, and cytopathic effect was found in cell culture by 59% (44 of 74) of these samples. Three FMDV serotypes O, A and SAT2 were isolated and characterized. The phylogenetic assessments of the virus isolates showed that two topotypes of FMDV serotype O, East Africa-3 (EA-3) and West Africa (WA) topotypes were circulating, as well as FMDV strains belonging to the Africa genotype (G-IV) of serotype A and FMDV SAT2 topotype VII strains. While the serotype O (EA-3) strains from Nigeria were most closely related to a 1999 virus strain from Sudan, the WA strain in Nigeria shares genetic relationship with three 1988 viruses in Niger. The FMDV serotype A strains were closely related to a known virus from Cameroon, and the SAT2 strains were most closely related to virus subtypes in Libya. This study provides evidence of co-occurrence of FMDV serotypes and topotypes in West, Central, East and North Africa, and this has implication for control. The findings help filling the knowledge gap of FMDV dynamics in Nigeria and West Africa subregion to support local and regional development of vaccination-based control plans and international risk assessment.

Keywords: Nigeria; foot and mouth disease; phylogeny; serology; virus characterization; virus isolation.

MeSH terms

Animals
Capsid Proteins / chemistry
Capsid Proteins / genetics
Cattle
Cattle Diseases / epidemiology*
Cattle Diseases / virology
Disease Outbreaks / veterinary*
Foot-and-Mouth Disease / epidemiology*
Foot-and-Mouth Disease / virology
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / classification
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / genetics
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / isolation & purification*
Nigeria / epidemiology
Phylogeny
Prevalence
Sequence Analysis, Protein / veterinary
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Serogroup

Substances

Capsid Proteins
VP1 protein, Foot-and-mouth disease virus