The role of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) persistently infected ruminants in initiating new outbreaks remains controversial, and the perceived threat posed by such animals hinders international trade in FMD-endemic countries.
This study indicates a high prevalence of subclinical FMDV infection in vaccinated buffalo in Pakistan and emphasizes the importance of clinically undetected infection in FMD dynamics in endemic regions.
We earlier isolated two llama single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs) that specifically recognize 146S particles of FMDV strain O<sub>1</sub> Manisa and shown their potential use in quality control of FMD vaccines during manufacturing.