DIAGNOSIS OF KILHAM RAT VIRUS USING PCR

The exclusive use of serology, namely immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) , for the diagnosis of rodent parvovirus infection is limited to detec ting IgG antibodies which develop some time after the appearance of cl inical symptoms, whilst conventional viral isolation, using tissue cul ture, is both expensive and time consuming. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a diagnostic method has the potential to overcome these probl ems. However, it requires detailed knowledge of the genetic code of th e target organism and careful selection of the primers used. This pape r describes preliminary findings in a PCR assay which detected Kilham rat virus, minute virus of mice and Toolan's H1 virus.