Application of PCR and PCR-Based Techniques in Veterinary Medicine

Abstract

New tests for the detection and typing of animal pathogens have been developed for veterinary medicine. Careful systematization is required to determine the place of molecular-based tools’ applications in the existing system of epizootological and epidemiological surveillance. Today, molecular genetic tests, including PCR, are used in veterinary medicine and agriculture for the following purposes:- surveillance and diagnosis of infectious and certain invasive diseases, - typing of animal pathogens, the study of their eco-geographic features, the drift of genetic variability and evolution, - research of molecular mechanisms of the immune response and the host-pathogen interactions, - quality and safety control of agricultural products, including food and feeds, - control of the quality and safety of genetic resources of animals, - control of the circulation of pathogens in the environment, - analysis of the origin and certification of breeds of productive and non-productive animals, etc.
 The application of molecular genetic methods of monitoring and early diagnosis is regulated by the Manual and Code of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the Program for the Global Control of Infectious Diseases of the World Health Organization, the guidelines on the monitoring of infectious diseases of animals and the control of the safety of agricultural products of the FAO. A large number of tests based on molecular diagnostic methods are recommended for use in infectious disease control programs, both emerging and economically significant, in the USA, Canada, and the countries of the European Union. This paper summarises the current PCR-based development scope and ways of its implementation in practical veterinary medicine.