Application of real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) for detection of swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV) in samples of archival SVDV isolates and clinical samples collected from SVDV infected pigs was described. A primer set that targets the IRES region of the SVDV genome and TaqMan probe specific for a highly conserved region in SVDV RNA IRES region were used. The assay detected viral RNA in all tested archival strains of SVDV isolated in Europe during years 1972-73 and 1992 as well as in clinical samples collected from experimentally infected pigs. The rRT-PCR can provide quantitative and qualitative information and is more sensitive and faster to perform than the conventional RT-PCR.