Utvärdering av olika diagnostiska metoder för infektioner med bovint coronavirus hos nötkreatur
This paper shortly describes the coronavirus family, bovine corona viruses (BCV)
properties and two diseases that BCV causes, winter dysentery and calf diarrhoea.
The purpose of the study was to compare different diagnostic methods to detect
BCV. Different methods are discussed, PCR, ELISA, immunofluorescense and
virus isolation.
Investigations were made in three different herds with winter dysentery; one dairy
cattle farm with about 100 cows of different ages, one testing station for bulls with
about 150 bulls and another small dairy cattle farm with 26 cows and 20
replacement heifers and calves. Faeces and nasal swabs were analysed with PCR
and ELISA.
The result shows that PCR seems to be a reliable method for detecting BCV but
that the ELISA test can not be used as a reliable diagnostic method to analyse
samples from animals with winter dysentery.