Safety evaluation of microbial pesticide (HaNPV) based on PCR method

Microbial pesticides can prevent and control diseases and pests of crops, and has become one of the important measures to ensure food and environmental safety. However, the potential harm of microbial pesticides to humans and animals is a serious concern at home and abroad. In this paper, we have investigated the infectivity and pathogenicity of a representative of viral microbial pesticides, helicoverpa armigera nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HaNPV), by specific and highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction technology. The results show that HaNPV can be gradually cleared in a short time after getting into blood of experimental rats, and does not infect other tissues or organs of animals; also indicate that the test subjects are not infectious to experimental rats after intravenous injection of HaNPV. Our method has good specificity and repeatability, and could provide an important reference for establishment of infectivity and pathogenicity detection methods for viral microbial pesticides in future.