Diagnosing Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Cattle Using Real-Time PCR
Author Information
Author(s): Paixão Tatiane A, Neta Alcina V Carvalho, Paiva Naimes O, Reis Jorge R, Barbosa Meirivan S, Serra Claudia V, Silva René R, Beckham Tammy R, Martin Barbara M, Clarke Neville P, Adams L Garry, Santos Renato L
Primary Institution: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Hypothesis
Can real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) effectively diagnose foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in field conditions in Brazil?
Conclusion
Real-time RT-PCR is a powerful technique for reliable detection of FMDV in a fraction of the time required for virus isolation and ELISA.
Supporting Evidence
- Three samples from areas with outbreaks of FMD were positive by real-time RT-PCR.
- All 200 samples from an area free of FMD were real-time RT-PCR negative.
- The method demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity under laboratory and experimental conditions.
Takeaway
Scientists tested a new method to quickly find out if cattle have foot-and-mouth disease, and it worked really well in the field.
Methodology
The study used real-time RT-PCR to analyze 460 oral swabs from cattle, comparing results from areas free of FMD and areas with outbreaks.
Limitations
Lack of infrastructure in high-risk areas may limit the use of real-time RT-PCR as a routine diagnostic tool.
Participant Demographics
Adult cattle of both sexes from various regions in Brazil.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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