Infectious canine hepatitis: detection of canine adenovirus type 1 by polymerase chain reaction.

A primer pair and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method earlier tested for the detection of human and animal adenoviruses were used to demonstrate the presence of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) in tissue culture and clinical specimens. A simple procedure of sample preparation was elaborated making the PCR easily applicable in rapid confirmation of the diagnosis of infectious canine hepatitis.