Porcine Circovirus (PCV) Detection Kit (Real-Time PCR Method)

Target and Hazard: Porcine circovirus (PCV) is a non-enveloped, single-stranded circular DNA virus. PCV2 is a major pathogen of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS) and porcine respiratory disease complex, and together with PCV3 and PCV4 it causes porcine circovirus-associated disease. Pigs are the main natural host, and the virus is transmitted by oronasal contact and across the placenta. Infected pigs show wasting, stunted growth, poorer feed conversion and higher mortality, while virus-induced immunosuppression aggravates secondary infections, causing persistent and easily overlooked economic losses on farms. Porcine circovirus disease is classified as a Class III animal disease in China.

Significance of Testing: The kit detects viral nucleic acid directly and therefore confirms true infection status early, before seroconversion or despite maternally derived antibodies, complementing serological methods. It is suitable for confirmation on clinical specimens, screening of virus-carrying pigs, quarantine testing of incoming stock and dynamic monitoring of herd prevalence; the Ct value gives a rough indication of viral load, providing molecular evidence for vaccine evaluation and herd eradication.

Principle: Specific primers and a TaqMan probe are designed against conserved regions of the PCV genome; probe hydrolysis generates fluorescence that accumulates with the amplification product, and results are interpreted from the amplification curve and Ct value. A UNG-dUTP system is included to reduce the risk of aerosol carry-over contamination.

Performance and Applications: Supplied with nucleic acid extraction reagents; total workflow approximately 2–3 hours; samples include blood, nasal secretions, tissue specimens and faeces; a real-time PCR instrument is required and results are read from the amplification curve and Ct value; store frozen at -20 °C or below, protected from light (12-month shelf life). Intended for large-scale pig farms, animal disease control institutions, third-party diagnostic laboratories and research units. Method: TaqMan probe real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR | Samples: blood, nasal secretions, tissue specimens, faeces | Time to result: ~2–3 h including nucleic acid extraction | Reading: real-time PCR instrument, amplification curve and Ct value | Format: box (as stated on the label) | Storage: -18 °C, protected from light; avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles; shelf life 12 months | Note: sensitivity, specificity, limit of detection, intra-/inter-assay CV and agreement with reference methods are subject to our internal QC report.