Rapid diagnosis of TGEV-like coronavirus in fattened pigs by indirect immunofluorescence labelling in nasal cells.

Diagnosis of TGEV-like coronavirus was made by an immunofluorescence technique using monoclonal antibodies directed against TGEV. Six, 15 weeks-old pigs were inoculated intratracheally with the strain P 6008 ST 4. No clinical sign was observed during the course of the infection. Viral antigens were detected in the cytoplasm of nasal cells obtained from swab in five animals as early as one day p.i. and during several days. The sensitivity and specificity of this method appeared to be comparable to virus isolation of this cell-adapted TGEV-like strain.