title: Development of a nested PCR and its internal control for the detection of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in Ornithodoros erraticus.
abstract: A nested PCR assay, with an internal control, was developed to detect African swine fever virus (ASFV) DNA in Ornithodoros erraticus. The assay revealed a better analytical sensitivity than virus isolation and the OIE PCR protocol. All ticks collected from the field, which were positive by virus isolation, were also positive by PCR. Viral DNA was detected in a further 19 out of 60 ticks from which no virus was isolated. Our results show that this assay is reliable and can easily be used to screen large tick populations collected in the field for the presence of ASFV.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Doenças Infecciosas, CIISA, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Basto
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Portugal
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nix
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cartaxeiro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boinas
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leitão
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000357:African Swine Fever / Q000821:virology; D000358:African Swine Fever Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D026861:Ornithodoros / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral