Detection of canine parvovirus in fecal samples using loop-mediated isothermal amplification

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel, sensitive, and rapid technique for detection of genomic DNA. The end-product of the technique is a white precipitate of magnesium pyrophosphate that is visible without the use of gel electrophoresis. The LAMP method was applied to the detection of canine parvovirus (CPV) genomic DNA. A set of 4 primers, 2 outer and 2 inner, were designed from CPV genomic DNA targeting the VP2 gene. The optimal reaction time and temperature for LAMP were determined to be 60 minutes and 63 degrees C. On the basis of results for 50 canine fecal samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis as the gold standard, the relative sensitivity of LAMP was 100% and the relative specificity was 76.9%. The detection limit of the LAMP method was 10(-1) median tissue culture infective doses (TCID50)/ml, compared with 10 TCID50/ml for PCR analysis. In addition to the advantage resulting from visual detection of the end product, the LAMP method is very rapid, requiring only 1 hour to complete. This assay would be a viable alterative to PCR analysis for diagnosis of CPV infection in dogs. The LAMP method holds promise for use as a diagnostic assay for CPV detection in a clinical setting.