EN
A reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay was applied for the detection of the RNA of bluetongue virus (BTV). A primer set that targets conserved segment 1 of the BTV genome was used. The assay detected the viral RNA in all archival BTV-positive samples. Results of the study show that the sensitivities of the RT-LAMP and real-time RT-PCR assays were equal, and the detection limit for both methods was the 1/160 dilution of BTV-infected blood samples. RNA isolated from blood samples taken from healthy uninfected cattle (negative control) was not detected in this assay. No cross-reactivity of the primers with the genes of symptomatic look-alike diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMDV) and peste des petits ruminants (PPR), was found. Including the time required for the extraction of RNA, its presence in archival EDTA-treated blood samples could be detected within 2 hours. RT-LAMP is a very fast, sensitive, and specific technique for the detection of BTV in biological samples. Therefore it can be a valuable tool complementing the routine diagnostic procedure for BTV diagnosis.