Simple and rapid dot-enzyme immunoassay for visual detection of rinderpest antibodies in bovine and caprine sera.

A modified solid phase enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is described for visual detection of anti-rinderpest virus (RPV) antibodies in cattle and goat sera. Dots of RPV antigens were adsorbed to nitrocellulose (NC) paper (hence Dot-EIA) and the adsorptive reactive sites were blocked with skim milk powder. After immersion in bovine or caprine test serum bound antibodies were reacted with a peroxidase-conjugated anti-bovine or anti-caprine IgG (H & L), respectively. Positive reactions were easily visualized as red-brown dots after enzyme degradation of a substrate containing hydrogen peroxide and amino-ethylcarbazole (AEC). The Dot-EIA was comparable to the serum neutralisation (SN) test in its ability to detect antibody in bovine sera seven or ten days after experimental infection (DPI) with live attenuated Kabete "O" (RBOK) strain of RPV (grown in Vero cells) by a combination of subcutaneous (s/c), intravenous (i/v) or intranasal (i/n) routes. Early (seven DPI) RPV antibodies were detected in a serum sample from one goat experimentally infected with RPV by combined s/c-i/v routes but not in another goat only infected intranasally. The specificity of the Dot-EIA was equal to that of the SN test, as serum samples, collected from these experimental animals and those inoculated with non infected Vero cell culture fluid, with SN titres of 0.3 or lower were all negative by Dot-EIA. The Dot-EIA may have potential application as a rapid, simple and economical field test in diagnosis of rinderpest, vaccination surveillance and other seroepidemiological studies.