Detection of equine herpesvirus type 1 by real-time PCR

A real-time PCR assay was developed for detection and quantitation of equid herpesvirus type I (EHV-1). The sensitivity of the assay was compared with an established nested-PCR (n-PCR). The real-time PCR detected I copy of target DNA. with a sensitivity I log higher than gel-based n-PCR. The assay was able to detect specifically EHV-1 DNA in equine tissue samples and there was no cross-amplification of other horse herpesviruses. Real-time PCR was applied to determine EHV-1 load in tissue samples from equine aborted fetuses. The high sensitivity and reproducibility of the EHV-1-specific fluorogenic PCR assay, combined with the wide dynamic range and the high throughput, make this method suitable for diagnostic and research applications.