Development of real-time PCR assay for specific detection of cowpox virus

Background: The number of recorded human cowpox cases are recently increasing. The symptoms caused by cowpox virus (CPXV) in a number of human cases are close to the symptoms characteristic of the orthopoxviral human infections caused by monkeypox or smallpox (variola) viruses. Any rapid and reliable real-time PCR method for distinguishing cowpox from smallpox and monkeypox is yet absent. Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop a quick and reliable real-time TaqMan PCR assay for specific detection of cowpox virus and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of this method. Study design: Based on aligned nucleotide sequences of orthopoxviruses, we found a virus-specific region in the CPXV genome and selected the oligonucleotide primers and hybridization probe within this region. The specificity of the developed method was tested using a panel of various orthopoxvirus (OPV) DNAs. The sensitivity was determined using the recombinant plasmid carrying a fragment of CPXV DNA and genomic DNA of the CPXV strain GRI-90. Results: The analytical specificity of this method was determined using DNAs of 17 strains of four OPV species pathogenic for humans and amounted to 100%. The method allows 6 copies of plasmid DNA and 20 copies of CPXV DNA in the reaction mixture to be detected. Conclusion: A quick and reliable TaqMan PCR assay providing for a highly sensitive and specific detection of CPXV DNA was developed.