Development of a hemi-nested RT-PCR method for the specific determination of European Bat Lyssavirus 1. Comparison with other rabies diagnostic methods

Vaccine. 2004 May 7;22(15-16):1921-9. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2003.11.015.

Abstract

A simplified hemi-nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (hnRT-PCR) has been developed to determine specifically the European Bat Lyssavirus 1 (EBLV-1) nucleoprotein gene. The specificity of this method was determined by using the seven genotypes of lyssavirus by RT-PCR, Southern blot and sequence analysis. Compared to the rabies diagnostic methods, the hnRT-PCR showed a higher sensitivity for the detection of small amounts of EBLV-1 virus. In view of these results, we suggest this new hnRT-PCR should be performed for the epidemiological survey of bat colonies, also providing rapid detection and genotyping of EBLV-1 until now encountered in all naturally infected bats in France.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Brain / virology
  • Chiroptera / virology*
  • Culture Techniques
  • DNA Primers
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Lyssavirus / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleoproteins / genetics
  • Rabies / diagnosis*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Rhabdoviridae Infections / diagnosis*
  • Rhabdoviridae Infections / epidemiology

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Nucleoproteins