HOW DANGEROUS IS THE NEW SAT1 STRAIN OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE?
The SAT1 serotype of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus is spreading rapidly, and the risk of it entering Vietnam remains ever-present.
According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a transboundary and transcontinental infectious disease caused by a virus belonging to the Picornaviridae family, genus Aphthovirus. The disease affects many cloven-hoofed animals such as buffaloes, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, deer, and antelope.
Currently, FMD has been reported on all continents worldwide. The virus has seven serotypes: A, O, C, Asia 1, SAT 1, SAT 2, and SAT 3.
Among them, the SAT1 serotype mainly circulates in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, with 13 different topotypes identified from SAT1/I to SAT1/XIII.
The SAT1 strain commonly infects sheep, goats, and African buffaloes. However, according to reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the SAT1 strain was first detected in Iraq in May 2025 and later spread to several Middle Eastern and West Asian countries, including Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Cyprus, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan.
Notably, in early April 2026, China reported its first outbreak involving 219 infected cattle carrying the SAT1 topotype I strain in Gansu and Xinjiang provinces.
Although the SAT1 strain has not yet been detected in Vietnam, the rapid spread of this virus in nearby regions poses a serious risk of introduction into the country, especially through illegal transportation of animals across borders, border gates, trails, and unofficial crossings.
Meanwhile, the FMD vaccines currently licensed in Vietnam only provide protection against serotypes O, A, and Asia1, and are ineffective against the SAT1 strain.
Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has expressed concern that if SAT1 enters Vietnam, it could severely impact the cattle and buffalo farming industry and cause significant economic losses without timely prevention and response measures.
The ministry emphasized the need to strengthen surveillance efforts, promptly detect suspected FMD cases at livestock farms, especially in border areas, and immediately collect samples for virus typing. Authorities are also urged to investigate and contain outbreaks while they remain limited in scope.
In addition, the ministry has requested the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defense, local authorities, and relevant agencies to tighten inspections and control over the transportation and trade of animals and animal products. Strict measures are needed to prevent illegal animal imports and transportation across borders to stop the virus from entering Vietnam.
At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has proposed that the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers consider allowing the emergency import of SAT1 FMD vaccines already approved in other countries for urgent disease prevention and control purposes.
(Source: Người Lao Động)