The use of pestivirus antigen ELISA currently available for the detection of hairy shaker disease / border disease virus in sheep

Authors: Pigott C, Kittelberger R
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 56, Issue 6, pp 343-344, Dec 2008
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant, Sheep
Subject Terms: Diagnostic procedures, Viral, Nervous system/neurology, Disease/defect, Infectious disease
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: On several occasions over recent years, the Investigation and Diagnostic Centre Animal Health Laboratory (IDC-AHL) was approached by external clients to perform testing of serum samples from sheep for hairy shaker disease (HSD)/border disease by using the HSD ELISA for viral antigen detection (Ag-ELISA), rather than virus isolation. The reasons were that the Ag-ELISA is faster and less expensive, is more suitable for large numbers of samples, and is a prescribed test method for international trade (Nettleton and Willoughby 2008). Because an HSD virus Ag-ELISA is currently not commercially available, clients suggested the use of a commercial bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus Ag-ELISA for the detection of HSD virus antigen as an alternative, as this approach had been published before (Orr et al. 1993; Schroeder et al. 2003). Here, we would like to clarify the confusing situation regarding the use of BVD virus Ag-ELISA for the detection of HSD virus antigen. We discuss this approach in detail in the context of information gathered from various experts in the field.

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