Subclinical infection and localization of foot-and-mouth disease viral RNA/antigens in apparently healthy Asiatic buffalo under natural condition.

The present study aimed to identify the subclinical infection and tissue-specific localization of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus RNA and/or antigen in Asiatic-buffaloes as their possible involvement in starting new outbreaks is still up for debate. Serum, oropharyngeal fluid (OPF), and 11 distinct tissue-samples were taken from the slaughterhouses from Asiatic-buffaloes (n = 70) and processed for 3AB3-non-structural protein (NSP) antibody titre estimation, virus isolation and genome detection, haematoxylin and eosin (HE) examinations, and indirect immunofluorescence assays, respectively. Of these, it was found that 04 (serum), 14 (OPF), and 18 (tissue) samples tested positive for NSP Ab, and FMD Viral genomic RNA/Ag, respectively.