A number of techniques to identify a virus strain have been established:

• Inoculation of virus onto host species - to test whether the virus causes the predicted disease.

• Electron microscopy - gives the size and morphology of the virus particle.

• ELISA / Serological tests

• Nucleic acid hybridization / PCR - The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allows amplification of specific fragments of DNA from virus. These fragments can then be analysed by gel electrophoresis.