Editors: Chengming Wang, Bernhard Kaltenboeck, Mark D. Freeman

Veterinary PCR Diagnostics

eBook: US $44 Special Offer (PDF + Printed Copy): US $110
Printed Copy: US $88
Library License: US $176
ISBN: 978-1-60805-572-2 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-60805-348-3 (Online)
Year of Publication: 2012
DOI: 10.2174/97816080534831120101

Introduction

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technology has become an indispensable component of routine veterinary diagnostics. However, a number of pitfalls and limiting factors affect its sensitivity and specificity of detection. It is imperative that veterinary PCR diagnosticians include such considerations in their work. Extensive experience with PCR technology in both research and diagnostic applications enables researchers to pinpoint these practical limitations, and therefore instruct the user in approaches that avoid these common errors.

This E-book discusses the basic concepts, chemistries, and instrumentation of standard and real-time PCR, and includes present applications and future perspectives for veterinary diagnostics. Critical pitfalls have been highlighted in this text with regard to veterinary PCR diagnostics which include: i) choice of platform technologies for PCR diagnosis; ii) construction of optimized PCR primers and probes to ensure its highest specificity and sensitivity; iii) correct sampling and efficient methods to preserve and release nucleic acids; iv) maximization of PCR amplification efficiency; and v) avoidance and monitoring of contamination in Veterinary PCR Diagnostics. This eBook should be a valuable reference for all veterinary professionals interested in this modern diagnostic tool.

Indexed in: Book Citation Index, Science Edition, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO.

Preface

A speedy and accurate identification of pathogens is of vital importance for the effective control and management of veterinary infectious diseases. Infectious agents have been traditionally identified with the use of various phenotypic procedures, such as morphological, biochemical and serological assays. However, the phenotypic diagnoses are usually slow and lack proper specificity and sensitivity. The revolutionary invention of the nucleic acid amplification technologies such as PCR allows the detection of pathogens at nucleic acid level, and has played an increasing role in the laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases. PCR-based technologies offer the ability to detect a single copy of nucleic acid template with supreme sensitivity, specificity, speed and precision for the detection of pathogens. Furthermore, the recent advances in probe chemistries, availability of multiple fluorescent channels in the PCR machines as well as instrumentation automation have facilitated the development of quantitative PCR that provides a convenient platform for high through-put quantitation and differentiation of pathogens in clinical specimens of veterinary medicine.

We are very fortunate and honored to have international specialists as chapter contributors in their respective specialty of veterinary PCR diagnostics. Mrs. Salma Sarfaraz at Bentham Science Publishers is a constant source of encouragement and discipline for the production of this book. This book provides a reliable, convenient and comprehensive reference on molecular detection and identification of pathogens of veterinary significance. Chapter 1 (Loftis et al.) outlines the principles of real-time PCR, and chapter 2 (Marijke) describes a practical guiding standard that can be used in different steps of the design and validation of in-house developed real-time PCR assays. Chapter 3 (Lilenbaum et al. ) focuses on molecular diagnosis of veterinary bacterial infections, exemplified with Brucella sp., Leptospira sp., Mycobacterium bovis, Staphylococcus aureus and Mycoplasma sp. Chapter 4 (Shaheen et al.) provides valuable knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in microbial pathogens and the potential advantages and disadvantages of PCR-based methods. Chapter 5 (Li et al.) highlights the diagnosis of viral disease in livestock and companion animals with PCR, and Chapter 6 (Wu et al.) focuses on the application of real-time PCR for detection and differentiation of significant parasites in veterinary medicine and public health, exemplified in protozoa, helminthes and arthropods. In chapter 7, Gentilini et al. focus their attention on PCR applications for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer in pets which are already currently available, albeit not diffusely, at both academic and private laboratories around the world.

Chengming Wang
Yangzhou University
Jiangsu, China

Bernhard Kaltenboeck
Auburn University
AL, USA

Mark D. Freeman
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
West Indies

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