Application of nucleic acid based techniques for detection of Classical swine fever virus: A comparative study

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a contagious and devastating viral disease, causing serious losses in the pig industry worldwide. In the control programmes of CSF, rapid detection and identification of the causative agent is a crucial step. Various PCR based techniques like nested RT-PCR, SYBRGreen based RealTime PCR and TaqMan based Real-time PCR were used for detection of CSFV nucleic acid in clinical as well as tissue samples. In our study three detection systems were tested for classical swine fever virus (CSFV) detection and for its discrimination from other pestiviruses; Nested PCR, non-specific dsDNA-binding SYBR Green dye based and specific fluorogenic TaqMan MGB probe based Real-Time PCR. However, one-step TaqMan Real-Time PCR assay was shown to be the most appropriate for pestivirus discrimination in comparison to the other two assays, moreover, it reduces the risk of contamination and is less time consuming.