Preliminary molecular characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus SAT-1 topotype III associated with recent cattle outbreaks in Syria

14 Jul 20264 min read0 viewsJournal Feed

GIST (Key Takeaways)

by Morshed Kassouha, Yaseen Almohsen, Hazem Altaweel, Abdulkarim Hallak, Abdulkarim Kalballouz Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious transboundary viral infection that poses a significant threat to the livestock industry globally. In Syria, despite ongoing vaccination programs, recent outbreaks (2025–2026) in cattle and sheep has raised concerns due to insufficient antigenic coverage and rapid transmission.
This study aimed to identify and molecularly characterize the FMD virus (FMDV) responsible for the disease in six cattle farms across Hama and Homs governorates in January 2026. Samples from teat vesicular fluid and oral swabs were collected and analyzed using RT-PCR targeting the VP1 region.
The six farms tested positive for the SAT-1 serotype, and two positive isolates: Syr-Hama 2026 and Syr-Homs 2026, were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis using the WRLFMD genotyping tool and MEGA11 software. Molecular analysis identified the causative agent as FMDV serotype SAT-1, marking its first molecularly confirmed detection and molecular characterization of this serotype in Syria.
Further genotyping revealed that both isolates belong to Topotype III.

Clinical Editorial

PLOS ONE (Medicine) published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 14 Jul 2026.

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