title: The use of convalescent sera in immune-electron microscopy to detect non-suspected/new viral agents.
abstract: Negative staining electron microscopy methods can be employed for the diagnosis of viral particles in animal samples. In fact, negative staining electron microscopy methods are used to identify viruses, especially in minor species and wild animals, when no other methods are available and in cases of rare, emerging or re-emerging infections. In particular, immune-electron-microscopy with convalescent sera is employed to detect etiological agents when there are undiagnosed clinical outbreaks, when alternative diagnostic methods fail due to the lack of immunological reagents and primers, and when there is no indicative clinical suspect. An overview of immune-electron-microscopy with convalescent sera's use in the diagnosis of new and unsuspected viruses in animals of domestic and wild species is provided through the descriptions of the following four diagnostic veterinary cases: (I) enteric viruses of pigs: Porcine Rotavirus, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, Porcine Circovirus and Porcine Torovirus; (II) Rotavirus and astrovirus in young turkeys with enteritis; (III) Parvovirus-like particles in pheasants; and (IV) Lagoviruses: Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus and European Brown Hare Syndrome Virus.
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Virology Department, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell' Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini" (IZSLER), Via Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy. antonio.lavazza@izsler.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavazza
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Sezione di Genova Piazza Borgo Pila 39, 16129 Genova, Italy. c.tittarelli-esterno@sanita.it.
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tittarelli
authors.affiliation: Epidemiological Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy. monicapierangela.cerioli@izsler.it.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerioli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D046094:Galliformes; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology*; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D007106:Immune Sera
keywords: animals; diagnosis; immuno-aggregation electron microscopy; negative staining; viruses