SIGNIFICANCE OF (VIA) VIRUS INFECTION ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN AS A TOOL FOR EPIZOOTIOLOGICAL SURVEY TO FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN EGYPT

1- Sera of 212 wild trapped rats collected from Cairo,Giza, Fayoum, Port Said, Ismailia and Elmenia Prov¬inces were surveyed for the presence of antibodies against bovine virus diarrhea and rinderpest viruses.2- Fifty six serum samples were collected from rats thattrapped from farms of bovine showing signs of rinde¬rpest or rinderpest like diseases, while the other 156 serum samples were collected from rats trappedfrom houses.3- The serological screening of antibodies against bovinevirus diarrhoea virus by complement fixation test and agar gel precipitation test had revealed that 28(13.2 perecent) sample were positive in complement fixa¬tion test with titre: ranging from 4 to 32, while 5(2.3 percent) samples were found positive in agar gel prec¬ipitation test.Results of serum neutralization test that was carried outon bovine kidney cell culture to detect the neutralizing antibodies against rinderpest virus revealed only 7 positive samples with traces of neutralizing antibodies, while the others were negative.Experimental inoculation of 16 wild rats through oral and subcutaneous routes with the local Egy,tian labor¬atory virulent rinderpest virus resulted in the