RESUMEN
The aim pf the present study was to compare three different methods for detection of food and mouth disease virus antigens[A, Asia1, O1]from mouth epithelium samples and also to monitore the distribution of FMDV serotypes 338 cattle and 34 sheep of Iran during 2000-2001. The suspension fluids of processed tongue epithelium samples were clarified by centrifugation and tested for presence of FMDV antigens. using Complement Fixation Test[CFT], Enzyme-linked Immuno-sorbant assay [ELISA] and inoculating onto BHK-21 cell culture. 151 out of 372 [40%] epithelium samples were positive to one of the FMD viruses, using CFT. These samples were collected from most provinces of Iran during one year [200-2001]. The virus was isolated from 78 out of 100 mouth epithelium samples in BHK-21 cell culture. The CF and ELISAtests were positive in 25 [30%] and 50[64%], respectively. ELISAwas at least two times more sensitive than the CFTfor detection of FMDVin epithelial samples. The Northwest region showed the highest rate of infection in the country meanwhile, Tehran province had the highest rate of infection among provinces