Molecular diagnosis of paramyxovirus infection in snakes using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and complementary deoxyribonucleic acid:ribonucleic acid in situ hybridization.

Identification of ophidian paramyxovirus (OPMV) nucleic acid was accomplished in 11 of 14 snakes by a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay that detected a 153-bp region of the OPMV genome in total RNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tissues and cell culture. The RT-PCR protocol amplified a portion of the OPMV RNA genome, producing a 153-bp complementary DNA (cDNA) product from both fresh and paraffin-embedded tissue samples. In addition, cDNA:RNA in situ hybridization localized OPMV in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens to specific tissues and cells. This latter technique increased the degree of specificity with which a diagnosis of OPMV could be made.