Detergent solubilised bovine viral diarrhea virus elicits a similar immune response as the inactivated virus

The immune response to two detergent solubilised preparations of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) proteins were compared with the response to a chemically inactivated BVDV preparation. The antibody titres were measured with the standard immunofluorescence assay and with a newly developed enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The range of viral protein specificity of the antibodies was compared using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by Western blot analysis. The results clearly demonstrate that the detergent solubilised viral proteins are equally as effective immunogens as the killed BVDV vaccine both in terms of antibody titers and specificity.