title: Evaluation of antigen detection kits for diagnosis of equine influenza.
abstract: In this study, we evaluated whether five rapid antigen detection kits for human influenza could be used for the diagnosis of equine influenza (EI). Limiting dilution analyses showed that Directigen Flu A+B and ESPLINE INFLUENZA A&B-N had the highest sensitivities to equine-2 influenza viruses (EIVs) among the kits investigated. From the results of virus detection in nasal swabs taken from horses infected with EIV, these two kits could produce positive results in reasonable agreement with those obtained by virus isolation or RT-PCR, suggesting that these kits could be useful for rapid diagnosis of EI in the field. However, from the viewpoint of specificity for EIV, Espline seems to be superior to Directigen.
authors.affiliation: Epizootic Research Center, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan. takashi_yamanaka@jra.go.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsujimura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Tomio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006736:Horses; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic