Failure of Haematobia thirouxi potans (Bezzi) to transmit foot-and-mouth disease virus mechanically between viraemic and susceptible cattle.

In 2 separate experiments the blood-feeding fly Haematobia thirouxi potans (Bezzi) failed to transmit foot-and-mouth disease virus when transferred from viraemic (log 2,6-log 4,3 MLD50 or TCID50/ml) to susceptible cattle. Each experiment involved 2 susceptible and 2 viraemic animals housed in separate stables and 2,000-4,000 flies of which most had fed on viraemic hosts 120 min prior to transfer. Furthermore, only minimal quantities of virus were isolated from free-living flies captured on experimentally infected buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the acute stages of infection.