The effect of the mode of sampling on BHV-1 detection in infected cattle by dot-blot hybridization

The BHV-1 genome in nasal swabs and washings was detected by dot-blot hybridization using the 32P-pUR-1 probe (1.8 kb EcoRI-HindIII random fragment of BHV-1 DNA ligated into the pUC-9 plasmid) as early as on day 1 after the experimental infection of cattle. In dependence on the sampling method, differences were observed in the maximum of hybridization signals. During nasal swab analyses maximum amounts of BHV-1 differed in the individual samples (day 1-3). Hybridization signals obtained at the analysis of BHV-1 DNA nasal washings did not vary but showed a continuous maximum on day 2 after infection. Nasal washings proved to be more advantageous for detection of the BHV-1 genome by the hybridization technique.