English abstract
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease which has a significant impact on the economy and livestock productivity of affected countries. Based on unpublished reports serotype O has been incriminated as the sole serotype present in Oman. The present study was conducted in the Dhofar region of the Sultanate of Oman between August 2003 and March 2004 with the objective of determining the seroprevalence against FMDV in Dhofari cattle. Sera samples were collected from a total of 395 cattle in 19 different herds. Sera underwent screening using a Liquid Phase Blocking ELISA to determine the antibody response to the serotypes O, A, C, Asia 1, Satı, Sat 2, and Sat 3. The overall seroprevalence of FMD was 52.1% (n=206). Of the seropositive animals, 77.7% were positive for type o and 22.3% for type A. There was no significant variation in seroprevalence among sex and age; however, there was a tendency towards a higher incidence of seropositive in older animals. This study confirmed that FMDV is wide spread in the Dhofar region. Furthermore, it is the first report of the presence of serotype A in the Sultanate.
