Rapid and sensitive detection of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1 (EEHV1) in blood by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)

• Published in: Journal of Veterinary Medical Science Vol. 81; no. 3; pp. 504 - 507
• Main Authors: TAKEHANA, Kazuya, KINJYO, Teruo, NEMOTO, Manabu, MATSUNO, Keita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan JAPANESE SOCIETY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 2019; Japan Science and Technology Agency; The Japanese Society of Veterinary Science
• Subjects: acute hemorrhagic disease; Animals; Asian elephants (Elephas maximus); DNA Primers; DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - genetics; elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV); Elephants - blood; Elephants - virology; Female; Hemorrhage; Hemorrhagic disease; Herpesviridae - classification; Herpesviridae - enzymology; Herpesviridae - genetics; Herpesviridae - isolation & purification; Herpesviridae Infections - diagnosis; Herpesviridae Infections - veterinary; Herpesviridae Infections - virology; loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP); Male; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques - methods; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques - veterinary; Plasmids; polymerase chain reaction (PCR); Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Sensitivity and Specificity; Time Factors; Wildlife Science; Asian elephants (Elephas maximus); elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV); acute hemorrhagic disease; polymerase chain reaction (PCR); loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)
• ISSN: 0916-7250; 1347-7439; 1347-7439
• DOI: 10.1292/jvms.18-0683

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus type 1 (EEHV1) is the most important causative agent of an acute fatal hemorrhagic disease in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). We employed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to develop a rapid and simple detection method for EEHV1 in blood. When used to test 21 clinical samples collected in Japan, the EEHV1 assay correctly identified one positive and 20 negative clinical samples. It was observed that when samples were spiked with synthetic DNA plasmids including EEHV1 polymerase gene, the detection limit of the LAMP assay was 101.2 copies/µl and 100-fold higher than that of conventional PCR. These advantages of the LAMP assay for EEHV1 detection may facilitate better veterinary practices for treating elephants suffering from the acute disease.