Volume 7, Number 4—August 2001
THEME ISSUE
West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus
Detection of North American West Nile Virus in Animal Tissue by a Reverse Transcription-Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay
Table
Virus isolation compared with plaque reduction virus neutralization, immunoglobulin M-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serologic results, or both for West Nile virus samples positive by reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction
Results |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
RT-nPCR positive samples | No. tested | VI positive | VI negative | Seropositive | Seronegative |
Equine brain | 13 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 0 |
Equine plasma | 8a | 1 | 7 | 0 | 8b |
Avian brain | 7 | 7 | 0 | NAc | NA |
RT-nPCR = reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction; VI = virus isolation; NA = not applicable.
aMultiple plasma samples collected from two experimentally challenged ponies were RT-nPCR-positive for West Nile virus between 3 and 7 days after inoculation.
bWest Nile virus antibodies were not detected in either pony until beyond the time the virus was detected by RT-nPCR.
cNo avian serum was available for testing.