African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 5 (19), pp. 1717-1721, 2 October 2006   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2006 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Diagnosis and surveillance of rinderpest using reverse transcription - PCR

E. Couacy-Hymann¹*, S.C. Bodjo^1,2, T. Danho¹, M.Y. Koffi¹, C. Akoua-Koffi³

¹LANADA / Laboratoire Central de Pathologie Animale de Bingervill

e, BP 206 Bingerville, Côte-d’Ivoire.

³Institut Pasteur , Département Virologie – Epidémiologie – 01 BP 490 Abidjan 01, Côte-d’Ivoire.

²Animal Production Unit, FAO / IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory, Laboratories, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria.

*Corresponding authors E-mail: e.couacy-hymann@lanada.ci.  Tel: 225 403 136/138. Fax: 225 22 403 644.

Accepted 23 June, 2006

PCR technique was used as an alternative method to detect evidence of rinderpest virus for diagnosis and in epidemiological surveys. Viral RNA was purified in 20 to 30 min using a commercial kit (RNaid (BIO 101). Primers used mapped in the nucleocapsid protein gene of rinderpest virus and gave specific and sensitive amplification from pathological samples. The size of the amplified fragment was 297 bp and the result was confirmed using internal non-radioactive probe SB1. The specificity of the PCR products was also confirmed by cleavage using restriction enzyme RsaI to give a major band of 200 bp.

Key words: RPV, RT-PCR, rinderpest, PPRV, morbillivirus.