Foot-and-mouth disease antibodies detected in more than one in four cattle across Africa and Asia

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 67 studies reports an overall seroprevalence of antibodies against foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) of 26.86% in cattle from Africa and Asia.

The study, published in The Veterinary Journal, compared results according to region, vaccination status and viral serotype. The authors found marked differences between the populations studied, with higher seroprevalence in Africa and among unvaccinated cattle.

Higher seroprevalence in Africa

Across the African studies included in the analysis, pooled FMDV antibody seroprevalence reached 35.37%, compared with 16.36% in Asia.

The difference is substantial, but the figures do not represent the proportion of cattle with active foot-and-mouth disease. Serological studies measure antibodies, which indicate previous exposure to the virus and, depending on the assay used, may also reflect vaccination.

The studies were conducted in different countries and epidemiological settings and involved different cattle populations, diagnostic methods and vaccination programmes.

Unvaccinated cattle showed more frequent antibody detection

Vaccination status was also associated with large differences in seroprevalence.

Among unvaccinated cattle, the pooled estimate was 37.59%, compared with 14.39% in vaccinated cattle.

These figures describe the populations included in the published studies and should not be read as a direct measure of vaccine efficacy. The studies were observational, and vaccinated and unvaccinated cattle were not necessarily exposed to the same level of infection pressure or managed under comparable conditions.

Serotype O showed the highest pooled estimate

Serotype O had the highest antibody seroprevalence reported in the meta-analysis, at 47.16%.

This estimate was accompanied by a wide confidence interval, from 23.45% to 72.24%, indicating substantial uncertainty between studies. Mixed-serotype antibody positivity was estimated at 8.80%.

Serotype O is one of the FMDV serotypes most widely reported in endemic areas of Africa and Asia.

Strong variation between studies

The main difficulty in interpreting the pooled results is the very high heterogeneity between studies, which reached 99.3%.

This means that the overall figure of 26.86% brings together populations with very different epidemiological profiles and cannot be treated as a prevalence estimate for Africa or Asia as a whole.

The meta-analysis is therefore more informative when the results are examined by subgroup. The largest contrasts concerned geography, vaccination status and serotype, rather than the overall pooled estimate itself.

The authors included studies published up to October 2024 and searched seven scientific databases.

Reference: Li L-M, Zhao F-F, Han L, Xu X-Y, Zhao H-N, Guo Y-L, Gao M-C. Seroprevalence and associated factors of foot-and-mouth disease virus antibodies in cattle in Africa and Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Veterinary Journal. 2026;106897.