The nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) technique was compared to AGID and ELISA serological tests for the diagnosis of Equine Infectious Anemia. DNA samples from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were subjected to the amplification of the gag gene by nPCR, which showed relative sensibility and specificity values of 90.0% and 52.9% respectively, compared to the AGID and values of 85.7% and 49.0%, respectively, as compared to ELISA. Considering the factors concerning the limitations of each technique, the use of nPCR can be suggested as a complementary diagnostic test for EIA in Brazilian samples.
diagnosis; EIA; nPCR; AGID; ELISA