Development and evaluation of a real-time PCR assay for rapid identification and semi-quantitation of measles virus

A real-time PCR assay for measles virus was designed and validated using clinical samples including oral fluids, sera, urines, throat swabs, blood samples, and nasopharyngeal aspirates. The test was specific for measles virus, with a slightly higher sensitivity compared to the conventional nested PCR. Calculation of viral genome number in these samples, by comparison with a standard curve prepared from dilutions of cloned measles virus H gene, indicated that, overall, serum samples tended to have a lower viral load than oral fluid samples, and that the viral load decreased with increasing time after onset of symptoms. The real-time PCR is considered to be a sensitive and specific alternative to the conventional measles PCR, especially in situations where early and rapid diagnosis are important.