Abstract: Novel PCR based assays to detect Orthopoxvirus DNA have been developed which when tested under simulated clinical conditions have proven to be very sensitive, rapid and robust. Furthermore, artificial templates have been constructed which can be used as positive controls in the RFLP analysis necessary to differentiate variola and monkeypox viruses from the Orthopoxvirus species that normally cause relatively insignificant disease in man. These assays will provide a lab that has already undertaken the isolation of DNA from a patient sample in biocontainment with a sensitive and controlled assay for the detection and differentiation of human-tropic orthopox viruses.

Abstract: We have developed two new PCR based assays to detect Orthopoxvirus DNA which when tested under simulated clinical conditions, have proven to be very sensitive, rapid and robust. Importantly, we were able to construct artificial templates for use as positive controls in the RFLP analysis necessary to differentiate variola and monkeypox viruses from the Orthopoxvirus species that normally cause relatively insignificant disease in man. Our assays will provide a lab that has already undertaken the isolation of DNA from a patient sample in biocontainment, a sensitive and controlled assay for the detection and differentiation of human-tropic orthopox viruses.