Immunological and molecular detection of Bovine rotavirus from diarrhoeic calves

This study was conducted to detect Bovine Rotavirus in diarrhoeic calves using immunological and molecular diagnostic techniques, namely Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) and Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). A total of 50 faecal samples were collected from diarrhoeic calves in the Junagadh region, considering factors such as age, sex, species, season, feeding practices and colour of diarrhoea. All samples were initially screened using a commercial LFA kit (Anigen Rapid Rota Ag Test Kit, BioNote) for rotaviral antigen detection. Viral RNA was extracted using the RNA Sure® Virus Kit, followed by cDNA synthesis and RT-PCR targeting the VP6 and VP7 genes of group A rotaviruses. Results showed that 4 out of 50 samples (8%) were positive by both LFA and RT-PCR. The study confirms the presence of Bovine Rotavirus in diarrhoeic calves of the Junagadh region. LFA proved useful for rapid field screening, while RT-PCR remains the preferred confirmatory diagnostic method due to its higher sensitivity and specificity.