title: Development of an ELISA for detection of myxoma virus-specific rabbit antibodies: test evaluation for diagnostic applications on vaccinated and wild rabbit sera.
abstract: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed and compared with 2 reference diagnostic tests (indirect immunofluorescence [IF] and complement fixation) to detect myxoma virus-specific antibodies in sera from 50 rabbits experimentally vaccinated with an attenuated strain of myxoma virus or with a Shope fibroma virus. The ELISA was highly specific (100% specificity) and sensitive (100%, 21 days after homologous vaccination). In a comparison of the ELISA with the IF test in 128 wild rabbits from France, discrepant results were obtained in only 11 (8.6%) animals, which were positive with the ELISA and negative with the IF test. The higher sensitivity and the good specificity of the ELISA was confirmed in a serologic survey of 118 rabbits from 2 Kerguelen (Indian Ocean) islands, where the prevalence of myxomatosis varied considerably. The ELISA is an alternative serologic test for diagnosis, vaccine evaluation, and seroepidemiologic surveys of myxomatosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire associé de Microbiologie Moléculaire, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Toulouse and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gelfi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chantal
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Phong
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Py
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boucraut-Baralon
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D009233:Myxoma virus; D009234:Myxomatosis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011817:Rabbits / Q000821:virology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral