Quantitative real-time PCR for detection of monkey B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1) in clinical samples

A TaqMan based real-time PCR assay was developed for rapid detection and quantitation of herpes B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1) in clinical samples. The assay utilizes B virus-specific primers and a probe to the non-conserved region of the gG gene to discriminate B virus from closely related alphaherpesviruses. Fifty copies of B virus DNA could be detected with 100% sensitivity with a wide range of quantitation spanning 6 logs. The assay was highly reproducible with intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation of 0.6 and 2.4%, respectively. Clinical utility of the developed real-time PCR was evaluated by testing genomic DNA prepared from B virus clinical isolates (n=23) and human and monkey clinical specimens (n=62). This novel method was also compared with conventional cell culture with respect to sensitivity and specificity. TaqMan PCR assay was shown to be equally specific and more sensitive than culture method (culture vs. PCR sensitivity 50%) and was able to identify all B virus clinical isolates tested. Fast, reliable assessment of B virus DNA in infected cells and tissues makes real-time PCR assay a valuable tool for diagnosis and management of B virus infections.