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Title: DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF A PORTABLE REAL-TIME REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE PCR ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER

Author
item Risatti, Guillermo
item Holinka-Patterson, Lauren
item Lu, Zhiqiang
item Kutish, Gerald
item CALLAHAN, JOHNNY - TETRACORE INC., MD
item NELSON, WILLIAM - TETRACORE INC., MD
item BREA, TIO - DOMINGO REPUBLIC
item Borca, Manuel

Submitted to: Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/6/2004
Publication Date: 1/1/2005
Citation: Risatti, G.R., Holinka, L.G., Lu, Z., Kutish, G.F., Callahan, J.D., Nelson, W.M., Brea, T.E., Borca, M.V. 2005. Diagnostic Evaluation of a Portable Real-Time Reverse transcriptase PCR Assay for the Detection of Classical Swine Fever. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 43 (1): 468-471.

Interpretive Summary: A rapid diagnostic test for Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV) was evaluated on nasal swab samples obtained from pig holdings in the Dominican Republic. Classical Swine Fever is enzootic in the Dominican Republic. Samples were obtained from pigs with or without symptoms compatible with Classical Swine Fever. The test proved to be more sensitive than virus isolation with specificity close to 100%. All infected pig holdings were identified by the test, while virus isolation detected 3 out 4 infected premises. This simple test allowed a rapid an accurate way to detect CSFV infected animals.

Technical Abstract: A fluorogenic-probe hydrolysis (TaqMan)-reverse transcriptase PCR for classical swine fever virus (CSFV) was evaluated for diagnostic sensitivity and specificity using clinical samples obtained from the Dominican Republic where the disease is enzootic. The test, using nasal swab samples taken from both symptomatic and asymptomatic animals, exceeded the diagnostic sensitivity of virus isolation (100% vs 72.4%, respectively) with little loss of specificity (98.9% vs 100%, respectively). At the herd level, 3 out of 4 infected farms were detected by virus isolation, while the CSF real time RT-PCR assay identified all four infected premises. This simple and accurate test permits rapid detection of CSFV in affected herds.