Concentration of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Milk of Cows Infected Under Simulated Field Conditions

Abstract

Susceptible lactating grade dairy cows were infected with foot-and-mouth disease by exposure to infected pigs. The virus was detected during asymptomatic state in esophageal fluids, blood, and milk. Foot-and-mouth disease virus not only was present but also persisted in whole milk components, skim milk, cream, and reconstituted cellular debris, with titers of highest infectivity usually in the reconstituted debris. Survival of the virus in milk after high-temperature short-time pasteurization suggests thermal stability comparable to that of progeny virus resulting from direct inoculation of foot-and-mouth disease virus into the mammary gland. © 1982, American Dairy Science Association. All rights reserved.