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Foot and mouth disease virus : a review Volume 4, issue 5, Septembre - Octobre 2000

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Foot-and-mouth disease has been for a long time a major plague for animal health but is now close to be a disease of the past, at least in Europe. The efficient but expensive and not totally without danger vaccination was stopped in 1991 in all European Union states. However, the research on this virus, one of the most studied virus, both in the field of fondamental virology and animal health keeps on bringing new data on still badly known aspects of its biology like cell penetration, RNA translation, replication and capsid assembly. These different aspects are reviewed. The development of biotechnology permitted the rise of new vaccines, if not more efficient, at least completely secured. The intrinsic mutation properties of this virus are still a major challenge for its total eradication.