PCR assay for detecting porcine cytomegalovirus

Abstract

This is the first published report of a PCR assay for detecting porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV), the causative agent of inclusion body rhinitis in pigs. The DNA to be tested was extracted directly from lungs and nasal scrapings of pigs with various clinical syndromes. Fifty-nine percent (74 of 126) of tested pigs with various clinical syndromes were found to be PCR positive for PCMV. It is hoped that veterinary diagnostic laboratories will benefit by using this PCR assay for routine testing and surveillance of PCMV in pigs.