Real-time polymerase chain reaction: a novel molecular diagnostic tool for equine infectious diseases.
Abstract: The focus of rapid diagnosis of infectious disease of horses in the last decade has shifted from the conventional laboratory techniques of antigen detection, microscopy, and culture to molecular diagnosis of infectious agents. Equine practitioners must be able to interpret the use, limitations, and results of molecular diagnostic techniques, as they are increasingly integrated into routine microbiology laboratory protocols. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the best-known and most successfully implemented diagnostic molecular technology to date. It can detect slow-growing, difficult-to-cultivate, or uncultivatable microorganisms and can be used in situations in which clinical microbiology diagnostic procedures are inadequate, time-consuming, difficult, expensive, or hazardous to laboratory staff. Inherent technical limitations of PCR are present, but they are reduced in laboratories that use standardized protocols, conduct rigid validation protocols, and adhere to appropriate quality-control procedures. Improvements in PCR, especially probe-based real-time PCR, have broadened its diagnostic capabilities in clinical infectious diseases to complement and even surpass traditional methods in some situations. Furthermore, real-time PCR is capable of quantitation, allowing discrimination of clinically relevant infections characterized by pathogen replication and high pathogen loads from chronic latent infections. Automation of all components of PCR is now possible, which will decrease the risk of generating false-positive results due to contamination. The novel real-time PCR strategy and clinical applications in equine infectious diseases will be the subject of this review.
Publication Date: 2006-02-25 PubMed ID: 16496917DOI: 10.1892/0891-6640(2006)20[3:rpcran]2.0.co;2Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Review
- Clinical Study
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Disease Management
- Disease Treatment
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Infectious Disease
- Laboratory Methods
- Microbiology
- Molecular biology
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Real-Time PCR
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article discusses the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction as a superior tool for diagnosing equine infectious diseases, highlighting its advantages over traditional diagnostic procedures.
Introduction to Molecular Diagnostics
- The study underlines the shift in the focus of equine disease diagnosis in the last decade from conventional methods such as antigen detection, microscopy, and culture, to molecular diagnosis.
- Molecular diagnostic techniques are being integrated into routine microbiology laboratory protocols, requiring equine practitioners to understand their use, limitations, and interpret their results accurately.
The Role of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
- Among molecular diagnostic technologies, PCR is highlighted as the most successful and widely known tool so far.
- PCR has the capability to detect microorganisms that are slow-growing, hard to cultivate, or cannot be cultivated at all.
- It proves helpful in situations where traditional clinical microbiology diagnostic procedures fall short, being either inadequate, time-consuming, laborious, expensive, or posing a risk to laboratory staff.
- The technical limitations of PCR are acknowledged, but the study argues that these can be reduced in laboratories that use standardized protocol, conduct rigorous validation protocols, and comply with the necessary quality-control procedures.
Advancements in PCR and Real-Time PCR
- The study outlines the advancements in PCR, particularly in the field of probe-based real-time PCR, which have expanded its diagnostic abilities in clinical infectious diseases.
- Real-time PCR not only complements traditional methods but can surpass them under certain circumstances.
- It allows for quantification, making it possible to distinguish between infections associated with high pathogen replication and load, and chronic latent infections.
Automation and Decreased Risks
- The paper also discusses the potential for automating all components of PCR, which would reduce the risk of false-positive results due to contamination.
The Novel Real-Time PCR Strategy
- The application of this novel real-time PCR strategy in diagnosing equine infectious diseases is the primary topic of this review.
Cite This Article
APA
Pusterla N, Madigan JE, Leutenegger CM.
(2006).
Real-time polymerase chain reaction: a novel molecular diagnostic tool for equine infectious diseases.
J Vet Intern Med, 20(1), 3-12.
https://doi.org/10.1892/0891-6640(2006)20[3:rpcran]2.0.co;2 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. npusterla@ucdavis.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Communicable Diseases / diagnosis
- Communicable Diseases / microbiology
- Communicable Diseases / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses / microbiology
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Knox A, Zerna G, Beddoe T. Current and Future Advances in the Detection and Surveillance of Biosecurity-Relevant Equine Bacterial Diseases Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP).. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 18;13(16).
- Wilcox A, Barnum S, Wademan C, Corbin R, Escobar E, Hodzic E, Schumacher S, Pusterla N. Frequency of Detection of Respiratory Pathogens in Clinically Healthy Show Horses Following a Multi-County Outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus-1 Myeloencephalopathy in California.. Pathogens 2022 Oct 8;11(10).
- Knox A, Beddoe T. Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Technologies for the Detection of Equine Viral Pathogens.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 20;11(7).
- Habarugira G, Suen WW, Hobson-Peters J, Hall RA, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H. West Nile Virus: An Update on Pathobiology, Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Control and "One Health" Implications.. Pathogens 2020 Jul 19;9(7).
- Shaw SD, Cohen ND, Chaffin MK, Blodgett GP, Syndergaard M, Hurych D. Estimating the Sensitivity and Specificity of Real-Time Quantitative PCR of Fecal Samples for Diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi Pneumonia in Foals.. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Nov-Dec;29(6):1712-7.
- Slovis NM, Elam J, Estrada M, Leutenegger CM. Infectious agents associated with diarrhoea in neonatal foals in central Kentucky: a comprehensive molecular study.. Equine Vet J 2014 May;46(3):311-6.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
