Comparison of PCR and ELISA Methods for the Detection of Bovine Leucosis in Dried Blood Spots

PCR and ELISA methods for the detection of bovine leucosis in dried blood spots on porous membranes were compared. Dry samples were analyzed through real-time PCR, using several diagnostic test systems. Nineteen and 20 samples were identified as positive by PCR and ELISA, respectively. Fourteen of these samples were identified as positive by both methods. When using PCR and ELISA, 26 samples were identified as positive for leucosis, which amounted to 47% of the total number of tested samples. The results of the analysis of dried and native samples were in good agreement. The obtained results showed that whole blood sampling in the form of dried spots applied on membrane can be used as a convenient and reliable way to obtain dry samples of biological fluids with the purpose of screening herds for infectious diseases, in particular for bovine leucosis.