Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) diagnostic methods are reviewed. As the presence of clinical signs alone is inconclusive, laboratory diagnosis should always be carried out. The presence of FMD virus can be demonstrated by cell culture isolation, complement fixation test, ELISA or the more recent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Serological diagnosis is also a valuable tool. The virus neutralization test has been replaced by ELISA and the antibody response to some viral non-structural proteins allows to discriminate between vaccinated and infected animals on a herd basis. More rapid and accurate tests as well as an earlier detection system in preclinical state are still needed.
Les differentes methodes de diagnostic de la FA (fievre aphteuse) sont exposees. Le recours au laboratoire est indispensable; la seule presence de signes cliniques ne permettant pas d'etablir le diagnostic. Le virus peut etre mis en evidence par isolement en culture cellulaire, par le test de fixation du complement, l'ELISA ou la technique recente de polymerisation en chaine (PCR). La recherche des anticorps est aussi reconnue comme outil diagnostic. Le test de seroneutralisation a ete supplante par l'ELISA et la reponse anticorps contre certaines des proteines virales non structurales permet la differenciation entre troupeaux vaccines et troupeaux infectes. Des tests plus rapides et precis, la possibilite de detecter le virus lors de la phase preclinique seraient d'utilite certaine.