VP1-coding sequences of recent isolates of foot-and-mouth disease virus types A, O and Asia1

A large part of the capsid protein VP1-coding sequence of foot-and-mouth disease virus, isolated between 1993 and 1996 in Europe, was amplified by the reverse transcription-dependent polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The same was done with some non-European virus isolates, especially those against which vaccines were currently produced. The products were sequenced, and the sequences aligned. The alignment comprizes sequences of the types A, O and Asia1. Although the provenance of virus introduced to Europe remains unknown, genetic relation to some other isolates was indicated. Several genotypes of the virus were found to circulate in the field since years.