Preventing SAT-1 FMD virus strain: Lessons from international experience

The SAT-1 strain of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus, which had been confined to Southern Africa for decades, is gradually expanding its geographic range into the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia. According to Mr. Facundo Romero, Marketing Strategy Director of Biogenesis Bago LLC (Argentina), this epidemiological development is a growing concern because livestock herds in many newly affected countries have little or no immunity to the SAT-1 strain.

According to Mr. Facundo Romero, the SAT-1 serotype of FMD virus had previously been confined to Southern Africa. The first major turning point came in 2023, when this vius strain was detected outside Africa for the first time at a quarantine station in Qatar. Although the outbreak was swiftly contained, it signaled that SAT-1 had begun to spread beyond its traditional endemic range.

In early 2025, SAT-1 continued its spread across the Middle East, with confirmed detections in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Türkiye, and Egypt. According to Mr. Facundo Romero, the virus strains identified during the 2023 and 2025 incursions both belonged to Topotype I.

However, in early 2026, SAT-1 outbreaks were reported in Lebanon, Iran, Israel, and Azerbaijan. This time, the virus was identified as Topotype III, distinguishing it from previous outbreaks. The strain is genetically related to viruses currently circulating in Türkiye and shares up to 99.5% genetic similarity with the BOT/1/77 vaccine strain.

Most notably, in March 2026, SAT-1 was detected in China for the first time, marking the serotype's appearance in East Asia. This is regarded as the most concerning development to date because livestock herds across the region, including those in Viet Nam, have had no previous exposure to SAT-1 and therefore possess no immunity to this virus strain.

Against this backdrop, Viet Nam is considered to face a high risk because its livestock herds currently lack immunity to the SAT-1 serotype. According to Mr. Romero, response measures should be implemented proactively, based on risk assessments and supported by close coordination at both the national and regional levels.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) are currently assisting Southeast Asian countries in disease surveillance, risk assessment, and the development of emergency response plans for SAT-1.

According to Mr. Romero, Viet Nam should focus on two strategic directions. The first is to raise awareness of disease risk while strengthening domestic surveillance and diagnostic capacity. This requires regularly updating risk assessments and intensifying controls over animal transportation routes, informal trade, and cross-border animal movements, all of which represent high-risk pathways for the virus to enter the country.

At the same time, field surveillance systems should be reinforced to enable the early detection of unusual disease signs, while laboratory testing and diagnostic capacity must be enhanced to rapidly confirm suspected cases.

The second key priority is to establish a rapid response mechanism in the event of a disease incursion. According to Mr. Romero, emergency response procedures should be prepared in advance, including vaccination plans, communication strategies targeting livestock producers, and coordination mechanisms among management agencies, veterinary medicines, and the private sector.

In particular, coordinated, rapid-response capacity is decisive in controlling outbreaks as quickly as possible and minimizing losses in the livestock sector.

In addition to surveillance and response, vaccines are considered a key component of the strategy to prevent and control the SAT-1 strain. However, according to Mr. Romero, SAT-1 is also one of the most challenging serotypes for vaccine development. The difficulty lies not only in the virus’s characteristics but also in the fact that SAT-1 was historically confined to Southern Africa, leaving only a limited number of manufacturers worldwide with the capacity to research and produce vaccines against this serotype.

Developing a highly protective SAT-1 vaccine requires extensive expertise in FMD virus, the capability to select and adapt appropriate virus strains, and manufacturing facilities that meet stringent biosafety standards. It also requires rigorous quality control systems to ensure the efficacy, safety, and consistency of every vaccine batch.

For livestock producers, Mr. Romero recommends prioritizing vaccines that provide high levels of protection and are manufactured by units with experience in FMD control, while strictly adhering to vaccination protocols and vaccine storage requirements to ensure effective immunity.

However, he emphasized that vaccines are only one component of an FMD control strategy. An effective prevention and control program must be implemented in parallel with biosafety measures, epidemiological surveillance, early diagnosis, veterinary workforce training, and seamless coordination among management agencies, veterinary medicine systems, and businesses.

Biogenesis Bago is an Argentine biotechnology company specializing in animal health. The company is currently among the world's leading manufacturers and commercial suppliers of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines, offering effective solutions tailored to major livestock regions worldwide and contributing to the production of safe food. Biogenesis Bago's products are now available in more than 40 countries across the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.