The rapid and accurate diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is critical for effective disease control. Most of laboratory-based methods can provide objective results within a few hours of sample receipt. However, the time taken to transport suspect material to the laboratory can be unacceptably long, often precluding laboratory confirmation in the event of an outbreak. Therefore, rapid and easy-to-perform tests, which can be used in the field (on-site) in case of a suspected disease outbreak, would be a valuable tool for veterinarians in the initial diagnosis of FMDV. The lateral flow immunochromatographic (LFI) test has been efficiently used for the detection of specific antibodies against FMDV non-structural proteins. FMDV serotypes O, A, Asia 1, SAT 2 and non-serotype-specific FMDV. Recently, several FMD-specific real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) assays have been transferred to portable mobile platforms and evaluated for the detection of FMDV in the field: the Cepheid SmartCycler Real-time PCR machine, Enigma FL and LightCycler Nano System. The BioSeeq-Vet (Smiths Detection) was the first commercially available truly portable PCR instrument for the detection of viral RNA in the field. Additionally, a new portable amplification platform Genie I for the on-site detection of viral RNA by reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) has also been developed and evaluated. Infrared thermography (IRT), a quantitative method for the assessment of body surface temperature, may also be a useful tool for the early detection of FMDV in the field. In the absence of overt clinical signs, the IRT rapid screening test, which measures heat emission, can be essential in selecting potentially infected animals. Microarrays, a recently introduced technology for the laboratory diagnosis of FMD, offers greater screening capabilities for FMDV detection and can be regarded as an alternative to classical diagnostic methods.
Utility of automated real-time RT-PCR
for the detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus excreted in milk
