Discontinuous counter-immunoelectrophoresis in the study of viruses.

A method for the use of the discontinuous counter-immunoelectropnoresis (DCIE) technique in the study of viruses of the major taxonomic groups is reported. The method was successfully employed in detection of antigen of viruses in the bunyavirus, bunyavirus-like, flavivirus, orbivirus, and rhabdovirus groups, and/or of antibody to these agents. Although less sensitive than the complement fixation test, the DCIE test was found to be rapid and in some cases more specific in differentiating related viruses or detecting antigenic similarity between strains of the same virus.