title: Evaluation of antibody responses of emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) to avian influenza virus infection.
abstract: Emu antibody responses to avian influenza virus (AIV) infection were evaluated by the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C-ELISA), agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests. All birds infected with AIV H5N1, H5N3, or H7N7 developed antinucleoprotein (NP) antibodies as early as 7 days postinfection as detected by the C-ELISA. The responses lasted 49 days for the emus receiving H5N3 and at least 56 days for emus receiving the other two viruses. By evaluating 50 emu field serum samples, the C-ELISA was found more sensitive than the AGID test for the detection of anti-NP antibodies. This study indicates that emus experimentally infected with AIV developed antibody responses that can be detected by C-ELISA, AGID, and HI tests. The results from this and our previous studies demonstrate the use of the C-ELISA as a substitute for the AGID test in a routine serodiagnostic screening for detection of antibodies to AIV infection in multiple avian species.
authors.affiliation: Virology Section, Animal Diseases Research Institute, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Nepear, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McIsaac
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Heckert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation; D020312:Dromaiidae / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines