Detection of bovine herpesvirus 1 in clinical samples by the polymerase chain reaction.

A PCR assay with primers selected from the gl gene and flanking a 468 bp DNA fragment was tested on clinical samples. Of 27 samples (nasal swabs, lung, lymph nodes, tracheal mucosa) collected from 16 different outbreaks in Scotland, 18 were positive by PCR and 13 by virus isolation. Some samples of isolated DNA had to be diluted by a factor 50-100 to obtain a positive PCR result. PCR assay could detect the BHV-1 positive samples collected from different European regions, namely from Slovakia, Italy, England, Scotland as well as the IPV sample.