3.1 | FMD positive samples
All 265 samples collected during this study (2009-2018) were of cattle origin. Approximately one third of these samples (91/265; 34.3%) were successfully serotyped using antigen detection ELISA. Most of the typed samples were collected during the winter months (62/91; 68.1%): comprising 27/91 (29.7%) in December, 14/91 in January (15.4%), and 20/91 in February (22.0%). This compares to lower numbers of FMDV positive samples collected in November (1/91; 1.1%), March (17/91; 18.7%) and April (6/91; 6.6%). Only 6.6% (6/91) of the typed samples were collected between May and October.
The geographical distribution of FMDV positive samples collected in Sudan between 2009 and 2018 is described in Table 1 and Figure 1. FMD virus was detected in 91 samples which were also serotyped. Disease events comprised three serotypes; O (42/91; 46.2%), SAT 2 (18/91; 19.8%) and A (31/91; 34.1%). FMD type O disease events extended over almost the entire reported period (Figure 1), apart from 2018, while serotype A was detected in 5 years (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018) and serotype SAT 2 was detected in 4 years (2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017). Serotype A was detected in the Central States of Khartoum and Gezira. In comparison, serotypes O and SAT 2 had a wider geographical distribution (Figure 1). Serotype O was detected along the Nile basin, from the White Nile State in the South to Khartoum and Gezira in Central Sudan and up to the Northern State in Northern Sudan. Serotype SAT 2 was detected in Central Sudan at Khartoum, Gezira and North Kordofan and in addition in one South Eastern State (Blue Nile) and one Eastern Border State (Al Qadarif).