Antiserum raised in pigs against canine distemper virus and its utility in diagnostic procedures for morbillivirus infections (canine distemper, phocine distemper, rinderpest).

Antiserum against canine distemper virus (CDV) was raised in pigs by intranasal inoculation with CDV strains CND65 and ROCKBORN. Immunoglobulin fractions were conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. Peroxidase-conjugated anti-CDV immunoglobulin preparations were used for the detection and titration of CDV, seal-derived (phocine) distemper virus (PDV) and rinderpest virus (RPV) in Vero cell cultures. For the detection and titration of corresponding neutralizing antibodies a direct neutralizing peroxidase-linked antibody (NPLA) assay was established. The results were compared with those obtained with the conventional microtitre neutralization test (MNT) based on CPE reading. In addition the sensitivity of an indirect peroxidase-linked antibody (PLA) assay was tested in parallel with that of the NPLA assay using sera obtained from CDV-immunized pigs.