The Foot and Mouth Disease Virus Type O Outbreak of 1992 Is Not Related to Vaccine Strain (O/R2/75)

Vaccination is the only pragmatic approach to control foot and mouth disease in India. Strict quality control measures are essential to supply potent vaccine to the field application, in addition to monitoring the performance of the vaccine in the field. During the process of monitoring, an outbreak of FMD in vaccinated animals caused by type “O” virus in Tanjavur district of Tamil Nadu and a type “O” virus from unvaccinated herd of Karnataka were studied. Field isolates and vaccine virus were sequenced and analyzed. Data indicated that the virus from the outbreak in vaccinated cattle was a variant which could escape neutralization by antibodies against vaccine virus. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.