Detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ixodid ticks collected in natural foci by time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay.

Time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA) was used for the first time for evaluation of infestation of ixodid ticks with tick-borne encephalitis virus. Comparison of TR-FIA results with those obtained in enzyme immunoassay and by virus isolation confirmed the high efficacy of the method in question. Positive results of TR-FIA coincided with the data of virus isolation in 83.6% cases, the level of false-negative results did not exceed 1.2%, the overall time consumption amounted to about 1.2 hr.