Comparison of the dot blot hybridization assay with antigen detection assays for the diagnosis of infectious bursal disease virus infections.

The use of cDNA probes as diagnostic tools for detecting infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) antigens was compared with the agar-gel precipitin (AGP) and immunofluorescence (IF) assays. Specific-pathogen-free chickens were inoculated with the STC or IN strains of IBDV in three separate experiments. Tissue samples were collected at various intervals postinoculation (PI) and examined for viral antigens using the IF assay, the AGP assay, and the hybridization assay. Viral antigen was detected by the AGP assay for a period of approximately 3 days beginning 2 days PI and by the IF assay for approximately 4 days beginning 2 days PI. Virus was detected by the hybridization assay through the length of all the experiments (longest experiment was 24 days) beginning 1 day PI. These results suggested that the hybridization assay is more sensitive than the IF assay and the AGP assay.