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Updated: May 24, 2026

Development and Validation of a Quantitative PCR Method for Equid Herpesvirus-2 Diagnostics in Respiratory Fluids
Published on: March 17, 2016
Development and validation of a Myxoma virus real-time polymerase chain reaction assay
Sarah Albini1, Brigitte Sigrist, Regula Güttinger
1Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, National Reference Center for Poultry and Rabbit Diseases (NRGK), Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 268/270, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
To aid in the rapid diagnosis of myxomatosis in rabbits, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the specific detection of Myxoma virus is described. Primers and probe were designed to amplify a 147-bp fragment within the Serp2 gene. The assay was able to detect 23 copies of a synthesized oligo indicating a reliable sensitivity. In addition, the real-time PCR did not detect the Rabbit fibroma virus used in myxomatosis vaccines. The novel PCR was shown to be able to detect Myxoma virus in fresh and paraffin-embedded rabbit tissues originating from myxomatosis cases from various regions in Switzerland.

