Abstract

A duplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for the detection of bluetongue virus (BTV) in clinical samples was developed. This assay, which detects the highly conserved S10 region of BTV, was assessed for sensitivity and application as a rapid and dependable diagnostic tool by comparison with standard assays of virus detection, such as virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs and cell culture. Simultaneous detection of BTV and host beta-actin RNAs minimizes the possibility of false negative results. The sensitivity of the assay was found to be equal to five cell culture infectious dose (CCID(50)) units and its specificity was confirmed as no RT-PCR product was detected with RNAs from two closely related orbiviruses, i.e. epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (serotypes 1, 2 and 318) and African horse sickness virus, serotype 9, or RNAs from uninfected BHK-21 cells and blood samples from uninfected sheep or goats. In this study, 36 blood samples from naturally infected mixed flocks of sheep and goats were examined. Seventeen animals were identified as BTV-positive by RT-PCR, whereas only 13 were found positive by virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs and nine by cell culture assays. These results indicate that the duplex RT-PCR could be a useful technique for monitoring BTV infection in the field.