DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS OF INFECTIOUS LARYNGOTRACHEITIS FROM OTHER AVIAN RESPIRATORY-DISEASES BY A SIMPLIFIED PCR PROCEDURE

A simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based procedure was developed for the detection of avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) in chicken trachea, chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM), infected hepatoma cells and infectious cell culture supernatant. Samples were prepared by dilution in distilled water. After boiling and low speed centrifuga tion, samples were used for PCR analysis with two primers without spec ial labeling. The PCR analysis for ILT virus could be completed in les s than 8 h. Standard agarose gel electrophoretic analysis of the PCR p roducts revealed a prominent band of 300 base-pairs in samples from IL TV-infected specimens, but not from specimens containing Newcastle dis ease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, avian adenovirus, fowlpox vir us, Pachecoz or Marek's disease virus. One single ILTV infected cell o r 10 plaque forming units of ILTV could be detected with this procedur e. The procedure can be used for the identification of ILTV and the di fferentiation of ILTV from other avian respiratory tract infectants.