Preliminary results of comparison of ELISA and PCR methods in the diagnosis of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus infection

The purpose of the study was to improve the PCR method for diagnosis of CAE V and to compare the results of serological study with the results of PCR. The comparison of the results of PCR using DNA obtained from leucocytes of goat lambs by standard method with those obtained using DNA prepared by mic romethod revealed a much greater sensitivity of the test based on the stand ard method. The proportion of positive results obtained using the micrometh od corresponded to about 70% of the positive results obtained using standar d method. Comparison of the efficiency of the ELISA with the results of nes ted PCR revealed that the latter is less sensitive. However it is worth not ing the high proportion of PCR positive animals among serologically negativ e lambs. The proportion of such lambs was as high as 15.4%. The obtained re sults prove that only a complex application of serological and molecular bi ology methods gives reliable diagnostic results. Preliminary results show t hat the further improvement of sensitivity is possible by including the mol ecular probe.