Nucleic acid hybridisation and polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of infectious animal diseases.

The authors describe and summarise the use of nucleic acid hybridisation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technologies in the diagnosis of animal diseases. PCR is a powerful biological tool which enables exponential enzymatic amplification in vitro of a given deoxyribonucleic acid sequence. This technique is currently used to study the molecular pathogenesis of many infectious diseases and also for diagnosis. PCR is usually more sensitive than conventional methods and does not require complex facilities, and will therefore soon become the preferred technology of laboratory diagnosticians, field veterinarians and health officers.