Patent ID: 6872532

Claim:
A method for detecting white spot syndrome virus in a sample, the method comprising: adding to the sample a thermostable polymerase, appropriate nucleoside triphosphates, a nucleic-acid-binding fluorescent entity, and a pair of primers that have nucleotide sequences substantially complementary to a target nucleic acid having the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or the complement of the target nucleic acid; thermally cycling the sample between at least a denaturation temperature and an elongation temperature, wherein the two primers in combination amplify the target nucleic acid represented by SEQ ID NO:1, or a section thereof; illuminating the sample with a selected wavelength of light that is absorbed by the fluorescent entity during the thermally cycling step; determining the amount of fluorescence generated by the fluorescent entity; and detecting the presence of the target nucleic acid by analyzing the amount of luminescence determined after at least one amplification cycle.