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Improved antigen and nucleic acid detection in a bovine virus diarrhoea eradication program
W Rossmanith1, S Vilcek, H Wenzl
1Lower Austria Animal Health Service, Landhausplatz 1, A-3109, St. Pölten, Austria. wigbert.rossmanith@noel.gv.at
Veterinary Microbiology
|June 8, 2001
Summary
Improving diagnostic tests for bovine viral diarrhoea/mucosal disease (BVD/MD) is crucial for eradication programs. Modified antigen-capture ELISA and simplified RT-PCR significantly reduced false negatives, enhancing persistently infected (PI) animal identification.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Animal Disease Control
Background:
- Bovine viral diarrhoea/mucosal disease (BVD/MD) poses a significant threat to cattle health.
- Communal grazing increases the risk of BVD transmission from persistently infected (PI) animals.
- Effective identification of PI animals is essential for BVD eradication programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance diagnostic methods for BVD/MD, specifically improving the identification of PI animals.
- To optimize a commercially available antigen-capture ELISA (Ag-ELISA) and simplify a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for increased throughput and accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Modification of leukocyte preparation and cut-off values for Ag-ELISA.
- Simplification of RT-PCR using pooled blood samples and panpestivirus primers.
- Genetic typing of BVD viruses via PCR product sequencing for correlation with diagnostic results.
Main Results:
- The modified Ag-ELISA method significantly reduced the percentage of RT-PCR positive results among doubtful and negative ELISA samples (from 4.71% to 0.82%).
- Simplified RT-PCR facilitated higher sample throughput for PI animal detection.
- No correlation was found between BVD virus phylogenetic groups and Ag-ELISA performance.
Conclusions:
- Optimized diagnostic assays, including modified Ag-ELISA and simplified RT-PCR, are vital for effective BVD/MD control and eradication.
- Improved diagnostic sensitivity enhances the reliable identification of persistently infected (PI) cattle, a key step in disease elimination efforts.