Natural transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus between African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and impala (Aepyceros melampus) in the Kruger NationalPark, South Africa

VPI gene sequences of SAT-2 type foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) viruses recov ered from impala and African buffalo in the Kruger National Park (KNP) were used to determine intra-and interspecies relationships of viruses circulat ing in these wildlife populations. On this basis five distinct lineages of SAT-2. virus were identified in routine sampling of oesophageo-pharyngeal e pithelium from buffalo between 1988 and 1996. Different lineages were assoc iated with discrete geographic sampling localities. Over the period 1985-95 , four unrelated epizootics occurred in impala in defined localities within the KNP. Evidence for natural transmission of FMD between buffalo and impa la is presented for the most recent 1995 outbreak, with data linking the 19 85 and 1988/9 impala epizootics to viruses associated with specific buffalo herds.