Detection of avian reovirus by reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and its persistence study in experimentally infected chicken

In this paper, we describe the standardization and application of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the detection of avian reovirus (ARY) in various tissues viz., bone marrow, liver, spleen and joint tissues of chickens experimentally infected with avian reovirus. The standardized RT-PCR technique was found specific and highly sensitive for avianreovirus and detected upto 0.1 fg of purified avian reovirus RNA. The persistency study revealed that the avian reovirus could be detected Upto 35 days post infection in joint tissues and upto 21 days post infection in bursa, spleen and liver.