Antigenic comparison of swine influenza virus isolates

Cross hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and neuraminidase inhibition (NI) tests demonstrated strong antigenic relationship between A/Swine/Wisconsin/1/73 (SW/73) and A/Swine/Shope/15/31 (SW/31) influenza viruses. An eigthyone fold purification of virus was achieved by adsorption and elution followed by differential ultracentrifugation and sedimentation through linear sucrose gradient. Radioimmunoassay using purified 125I labeled viral antigens revealed antigenic variation between the two virus isolates. Neuraminidase of both viruses had pH optima between 6.5 and 7.0, and SW/31 enzyme was relatively more heat stable than SW/73.