Comparison of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification for orf virus withquantitative real-time PCR

Abstract

Abstract Background Orf virus (ORFV) causes orf (also known as contagious ecthyma or contagiouspapular dermatitis), a severe infectious skin disease in goats, sheep andother ruminants. Therefore, a rapid, highly specific and accurate method forthe diagnosis of ORFV infections is essential to ensure that the appropriatetreatments are administered and to reduce economic losses. Methods A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay based on theidentification of the F1L gene was developed for the specific detection ofORFV infections. The sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP assay wereevaluated, and the effectiveness of this method was compared with that ofreal-time PCR. Results The sensitivity of this assay was determined to be 10 copies of a standardplasmid. Furthermore, no cross-reactivity was found with either capripoxvirus or FMDV. The LAMP and real-time PCR assays were both able to detectintracutaneous- and cohabitation-infection samples, with a concordance of97.83%. LAMP demonstrated a sensitivity of 89.13%. Conclusion The LAMP assay is a highly efficient and practical method for detecting ORFVinfection. This LAMP method shows great potential for monitoring theprevalence of orf, and it could prove to be a powerful supplemental tool forcurrent diagnostic methods.