TSYBANOV, A.V. LUNITSIN, D.V. KOLBASOV All-Russian Institute of Veterinary Virology and Microbiology, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Pokrov, Petushinskii Region, Vladimir Province, 601120 Russia, e-mail gerasimova-nadya-88@yandex.ru, vniivvim@niiv.petush.elcom.ru Received March 31, 2014 Abstract Equine infectious anemia in horses is caused by equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV, Lentivirus, Retroviridae), affecting hematopoietic organs. <...> The symptoms of the disease are relapsing or continued fever, anemia and a disturbance of cardiovascular functions. <...> Duly virus detection is the only effective way to control infection. <...> Serological methods used to indicate EIAV have some limitations. <...> Also an immunodeficiency can really occur when the content of virus specific antibodies is too low to be indicated. <...> Here we report the results of comparative study of different serological and molecular techniques for diagnosis of equine infectious anemia in experimentally inoculated susceptible 9 month old foal. <...> In the experiment, we used the kits for agar gel immunodiffusion assay (Russia) and ELISA (France) as serological tests, and our own developed test-systems for viral RNA detection by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with electrophoretic control and by realtime RT-PCR. <...> Developed PCR-tests is based on amplification of EIAV gag-gene fragment using specific oligonucleotide primers. <...> In blood, the viral RNA was detected by both test-systems from day 2 after animal inoculation until the end of observation at day 35. <...> Specific antibodies were detected in diffuse precipitation reaction from day 30 and in ELISA from day 21 after animal inoculation. <...> Thus, PCR-analysis could be used as an express-test for detecting EIAV genome prior to seroconvertion, and then other diagnostic methods should be further applied to verify the RCR data. <...> The developed Russian test-systems and investigation techniques confirm the benefits of the PCR diagnosis in the early stages of the EIA. <...> Equine infectious anemia in horses affects hematopoietic organs with relapsing or continued fever, anemia and a disturbance of cardiovascular functions (1-4). <...> In horses attacked by EIAV the antibodies to its different antigenic determinants appear in blood serum due to immune response to viral infection (3). <...> Special kits are developed <...>