Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious viral illness affecting cloven-hoofed
animals, is prevalent in the Sultanate of Oman, with yearly outbreaks, especially in winter
and spring. This study presents the first comprehensive genetic characterization of FMD
virus (FMDV) in Oman, including the first isolation of FMDV SAT 2/VII and
A/AFRICA/G-I strains in the country.
A total of 170 (85.43%) oral epithelial tissue samples tested positive for the FMDV
genome by RT-PCR, with an infectivity rate of 68.82%. Serotype-specific competitive
Ag-ELISA identified three FMDV serotypes: O, A, and SAT 2. VP1 sequencing revealed
two topotypes of serotype O (EA-3 and ME-SA) and three lineages within ME-SA, SA2018, PanAsia-2/ANT-10, and Ind-2001e.
Phylogenetic analysis placed serotype A sequences within the AFRICA topotype and the
G-I genotype, related to strains from Bahrain and Kenya. SAT 2 viruses were grouped
within topotype XIV, similar to the Ethiopian strains. Reports of vaccine matching of
genetically related viruses to Oman strains showed good antigenic matching with most of
the tested vaccine strains, except for FMDV serotype A strains.
Additionally, serum samples were collected from 315 animals across all governorates of
Oman to assess the seroprevalence of FMD in potentially infected animals. The analysis
indicated an overall seroprevalence of 43.5 %, with higher rates in older cattle.
These findings highlight the need for effective quarantine measures to mitigate
transboundary FMD transmission from East Africa and Western Asia. Further research is
necessary to evaluate post-vaccination immunity against field isolates, aiding the
development of targeted control strategies.