U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists have found the primary spot where Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) begins in cattle and say that will help in the development of new and better vaccines for FMD.
Agricultural Research Service researchers at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York have discovered that the FMD virus enters through a cow's nasal passages and infects a specific region in the back of its throat.
The goal is to develop vaccines that block that initial site of infection. Several existing vaccines offer temporary immunity to FMD, but there is no one-size-fits all vaccine. There are seven types of FMD viruses with 60 subtypes among them.
There has not been an outbreak of FMD in the United States for over 80 years, but it is still considered a serious threat.