Molecular Diagnostic by RT-PCR of equine influenza virus in Morocco

Twenty-four nasopharyngeal swabs from suspect horses with equine influenza, taken from the Casablanca region, were analyzed by RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) to research for the gene encoding the matrix protein M of equine influenza virus. The aim of this article is to check the specificity of each methods: RT-PCRq (real time) and conventional RT-PCR (classic), in order to confirm their correct application and comparison of their analytical sensitivity. The results of the sensitivity confirmed the high sensitivity of RT-PCRq detecting the virus diluting at 5.10.4 (viral charging: 150DCPE50/100μl), while the classical RT-PCR revealed a detection limit at the dilution 5.10-3 (viral Charging: 1,5.103DCPE50/100μl). Due to its high sensitivity, RT-PCRq was used to test the 24 swabs from horses with suspected equine influenza whose results were negative. However, the simultaneous amplification of a sequence of the gene Beta-actin specific equine increases the reliability of our results by the RT-PCRq inhibition control