title: A two-component direct fluorescent-antibody assay for rapid identification of Bacillus anthracis.
abstract: A two-component direct fluorescent-antibody (DFA) assay, using fluorescein-labeled monoclonal antibodies specific to the Bacillus anthracis cell wall (CW-DFA) and capsule (CAP-DFA) antigens, was evaluated and validated for rapid identification of B. anthracis. We analyzed 230 B. anthracis isolates; 228 and 229 were positive by CW-DFA and CAP-DFA assays, respectively. We also tested 56 non-B. anthracis strains; 10 B. cereus and 2 B. thuringiensis were positive by the CW-DFA assay, and 1 B. megaterium strain was positive by CAP-DFA. Analysis of the combined DFA results identified 227 of 230 B. anthracis isolates; all 56 strains of the other Bacillus spp. were negative. Both DFA assays tested positive on 14 of 26 aging clinical specimens from the 2001 anthrax outbreak investigation. The two-component DFA assay is a sensitive, specific, and rapid confirmatory test for B. anthracis in cultures and may be useful directly on clinical specimens.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Desease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. bkd1@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Barun K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: De
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bragg
authors.forename: Gary N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Sanden
authors.forename: Kathy E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Lois A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Diem
authors.forename: Chung K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Marston
authors.forename: Alex R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hoffmaster
authors.forename: Gwen A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: Robbin S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Weyant
authors.forename: Teresa G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Abshire
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ezzell
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Popovic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000276:immunology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial