TABLE 1-1.

Alternatives to Cell Culture for Diagnosis of Obligate Intracellular Pathogens That Infect Dogs and Cats

System Affected and Most Common Agents	Other Diagnostic Tests Available
Respiratory Tract
Canine respiratory coronavirus Canine adenovirus-2 Influenza viruses Canine parainfluenza virus Canine distemper virus Canine herpesvirus Feline herpesvirus-1 Feline calicivirus	RT-PCR PCR RT-PCR, antibody detection RT-PCR RT-PCR, antigen detection using IFA PCR PCR, IHC RT-PCR, IHC
Eye
Chlamydia felis	PCR
Central Nervous System
Canine distemper virus West Nile virus Encephalitis viruses	RT-PCR, direct IFA, CSF antibody detection RT-PCR RT-PCR
Gastrointestinal Tract
Coronaviruses Canine distemper virus Canine and feline parvovirus	PCR PCR, direct IFA/IHC PCR, IHC
Genital
Canine herpesvirus	PCR
Congenital and Perinatal
Canine herpesvirus Feline herpesvirus-1	PCR PCR
Blood
Feline leukemia virus Feline immunodeficiency virus Anaplasma phagocytophilum Rickettsia rickettsii Ehrlichia canis	PCR, antigen detection PCR, antibody detection PCR, antibody detection PCR, direct IFA on skin biopsies, antibody detection PCR, antibody detection

CSF, Cerebrospinal fluid; IFA, fluorescent antibody; IHC, immunohistochemistry; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; RT, reverse transcriptase.