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SUMMARY:Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus: Wonderful Virus – Dreadful Disease
  - David Rowlands\, Faculty of Biological Sciences\, University of Leeds
DTSTART:20100519T153000Z
DTEND:20100519T163000Z
UID:TALK24751@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Suzy Blows
DESCRIPTION:Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is still a major threat to the li
 vestock industry worldwide. Although it has been eradicated from large are
 as of the world (e.g. North America\, Australasia and Europe) through vacc
 ination and other disease control measures\, it is still endemic in many a
 reas and poses a constant threat of reintroduction into FMD free regions. 
 The causative agent\, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a small singl
 e stranded RNA virus (family picornaviridae) related to pathogens such as 
 poliovirus\, rhinovirus and hepatitis A virus. It was the first animal vir
 us to be identified as such and one of the first against which vaccines we
 re developed. It is one of the fastest replicating viruses known and is hi
 ghly contagious.  Surprisingly\, however\, a high proportion of infected c
 attle become long term asymptomatic carriers of the virus if allowed to su
 rvive acute infection.\nThe talk will summarise the history of the discove
 ry of FMDV and the development of vaccines. The escape of the virus from r
 esearch facilities at Pirbright\, UK\, will be described as an illustratio
 n of the efficiency with which the virus can establish outbreaks in naïve
  herds. Finally\, the molecular biology and structural biology of the viru
 s will be described in relation to understanding pathology\, transmission 
 and then development of improved vaccines and control measures.  
LOCATION:Lecture Theatre 1\, Department of Veterinary Medicine
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