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By Ana Paula Poeta, John Harding and Matheus de O. Costa - Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome is a production-limiting disease of pigs across the world. In breeding and farrowing herds, PRRS infection affects farrowing rates and the number of weaned pigs (Pileri and Mateu, 2016). Furthermore, growing and finishing pigs suffer from secondary infections and increased mortality due to PRRSV co-infection with other pathogens (Pileri and Mateu, 2016). Due to its economic impact (both at the regional and global levels), accurate diagnosis of PRRSV is critical.

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction is a sensitive and specific diagnostic method used to detect genomic material (DNA or RNA, indirectly) of a given pathogen in clinical samples (Larionov et al, 2005). The qRT-PCR method uses small DNA molecules, called primers, designed to specifically target the genome of a pathogen of concern, e.g. PRRSV. Primers react with the genomic material present in the sample over a series of 35 to 40 thermocycles. If a matching sequence is detected, even at very low amounts, the primers will bind and initiate a sequence of events that lead to the production of a duplicate copy of the sequence, called an amplicon.

Het volledige artikel is verschenen in National Hog Farmer, 30 januari 2018