Detection of influenza A virus by RT-PCR and standard methods in experimental infection of Ducks.

Foni E, Chiapponi C, Lori D, De Marco MA, Delogu M, Raffini E, Massi P.

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell´Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Sezione diagnostica di Parma, via dei Mercati 13/A, Parma, Italy. emanuela.foni@bs.izs.it

Cloacal swabs collected from mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) experimentally infected with a H7N1 avian influenza strain were examined by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction to detect the influenza A virus. Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction was compared with standard methods: inoculation of embryonated chicken eggs and inoculation of three established cell lines: Newborn Swine Kidney cells, Newborn Pig Trachea cells and Madine Darby Canine Kidney cells. Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed using a set of primers based on conserved regions of the matrix and nucleoprotein genes.