Avian reovirus antibody assay by indirect immunofluorescence using plastic microculture plates.

An indirect fluorescent antibody test was developed to detect serum antibody to avian reovirus strain WVU2937. This test employed small multiple well plastic plates (8 x 5.5 cm) which readily fitted into the standard mechanical stage mechanism of an incident light fluorescence microscope. The small wells of the plates required minimal (10 muL) volumes of reagents. In tests on 18 sera in which the indirect fluorescent antibody, agar gel precipitin and plaque reduction methods were compared sera which gave negative results in the agar gel precipitin test were sometimes positive in the indirect fluorescent antibody and plaque reduction test, but indirect fluorescent antibody titers were lower than plaque reduction test titers. No false positive reactions were detected in 46 sera from uninoculated specific pathogen free chicks of up to eight weeks of age.