Biotechnology and Viral Disease Control in Livestock: A Brief Review

Abstract

Modern biotechnological methods are gaining a tremendous importance in research and in the development of reagents for vaccines and disease control. The advent of restriction endonucleases which can cut DNA molecules into short pieces has enabled scientists to create nucleic acid probes and recombinants. With such advances, it is now assumed that the application of recombinant DNA techniques can result in products that are simple to manufacture, safe and reasonably cheap and of great significance when they become available for controlling and monitoring animal diseases. Therefore, the techniques can be used for inserting the gene coding for the immunizing protein of one virus into the genome of a second avirulent virus (vector) that is safe to be administered as a vaccine. Furthermore, research in recombinant DNA has been conducted with the intentions of obtaining highly specific and sensitive diagnostic probes. In this paper we review briefly the application of genetic engineering in an attempt to create novel vaccines and develop nucleic acid probes for rapid and sensitive diagnostic tools for viral diseases affecting our   livestock.