Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is the causative agent of an acute infection that affects animals with cloven hooves, such as sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs. The infection poses a serious risks to both animal husbandry and international commerce of animals’ products. FMDV is a member of the Aphthovirus genus within Picornaviridae family. It has a non-enveloped icosahedral capsid with a diameter of 25–30 nm, enclosing a genome made of single stranded RNA that is a positive sense orientation and an approximate size of 8.4 kb. The virus are divided into seven serotype that are distinct from each other; A, O, C, Asia-1, SAT1, 2, 3. However, within each serotype, many subtypes have emerged over time. This Review explores the genetic, structural, antigenic, and epidemiological features of FMDV. This will help to investigate how FMDV interacts with its host and how to devise effective strategies for its prevention and control.

Keywords: FMDV, structure, serotypes, epidemiology