Abstract: This paper investigated the advantages and disadvantages of three methods to detect classical swine fever virus(CSFV).We used three kinds of methods, including reverse transcription-multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction(RT-nPCR),fluorescence antibody method and colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay(CGIA),to detect 30 CSFV samples.The results showed that 11 samples of detected 30 samples were positive by RT-nPCR,13 samples were positive by fluorescence antibody method, 8 samples were positive by CGIA,and 8 samples were positive and 17 samples were negative by the three methods.Although fluorescence antibody method sowed time, it needed a seasoned staff to judge results. What's more, there were many false positive results arising by the method, and its specificity was rather poor.Gold dipstick method's biggest advantage was simple and easy to operate,and it was also appropriate for primary level,while the disadvantage was that it had a low sensibility.RT-nPCR's advantage was that it had a high-speed and sensitive operation, but it needed certain equipment and mature technology tests. In additionto this, it could differentiate testing samples whether they were vaccine strain or wild strain, and this was the point which other two methods couldn't match.

Key words: classical swine fever; fluorescence antibody method; reverse transcription-multiplex nested PCR; colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay