title: A comparative study of serological tests for use in the bovine herpesvirus 1 eradication programme in The Netherlands.
abstract: We compared a gB-ELISA, a gE-ELISA and a Danish test system (consisting of a blocking and an indirect ELISA) for their specificity and sensitivity to detect antibodies against BHV1. The Danish test system showed the highest sensitivity and the gE-ELISA the lowest; the gB-ELISA showed an intermediate sensitivity. If the doubtful zone (25-50% blocking) of the gB-ELISA was considered as positive (gB-ELISA+), the sensitivity almost reached that of the Danish test system. The specificity of all tests appeared to be very high, 99.7, 96.7, 100, 99.7% for the gB-ELISA, gB-ELISA+, gE-ELISA and the Danish test system, respectively. Seroconversion was detected in the gE-ELISA up to 3 weeks later than in the gB-ELISA and the Danish test system. It is concluded that the combination of a gB-ELISA (for screening) and the Danish test (for confirmation) system used in the BHV1 eradication programme in the Netherlands, provides for very high sensitivity (> 99.0%) (Kramps et al., 1994) and a very high specificity (> 99.9%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory, Animal Health Service, Deventer, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hage
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brinkhof
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Westenbrink
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003718:Denmark; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D007242:Herpesvirus 1, Bovine; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests