We developed a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to detect bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) gene. Our assay was able to amplify target sequences in all of the tested BEFV isolates, including 18 isolates from Japan and another isolate from Australia, BB7721. Since the sequences of the primer-binding sites are highly conserved among various BEFV isolates, the assay would also be useful for detecting other isolates from Australia, apart from BB7721, as well as isolates from China, Turkey, and Israel. The assay was also found to be useful for testing RNA samples extracted from bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The detection limit of the assay was 10 copies of the BEFV gene per tube. We believe that our assay is an important tool for the screening of BEFV gene and the diagnosis of bovine ephemeral fever in Japan and several other countries.
(Subtropical Disease Research Division)
References:
Niwa T. et al (2015) J. Vet. Med. Sci. 77(4):455-460
