Characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus from outbreaks in Ecuador during 2009-2010 and cross-protection studies with the vaccine strain in use in the region

► First antigenic/genetic characterization of type O FMD recent viruses in Ecuador. ► In vivo challenge studies indicated lack of appropriate protection by vaccines in use. ► In vitro vaccine matching studies also showed loss of protective response. ► Rapid and sensitive results on antigenic differences were obtained by MAbs profiling. ► A particularly unusual codon deletion appeared in VP1 protein of some viruses.