TaqMan based real time PCR for the quantification of canine distemper virus

Canine distemper virus is the causative agent of a high lethality rate disease affecting dogs worldwide. The disease causes variable clinical signs that make clinical diagnosis very difficult (Appel and Summers, 1995). Sub clinically infected dogs contribute to the diffusion of the disease, therefore the development of an extremely sensitive diagnostic test for the detection of the virus in these subclinically infected dogs is of crucial importance. At present there are no data on CDV growth dynamics in cell culture; these data would be very important to evaluate the in vitro antiviral activity of different compounds against CDV (Scagliarini et al, 2006). The aim of this study was to develop a rapid and sensitive real time RT-PCR assay based on TaqMan technology to detect and quantify CDV in clinical samples and cell cultures.