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Diagnosis of murine infections in relation to test methods employed
Abstract:
Comparative investigations of Sendai virus, pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), mouse encephalomyelitis virus (mouse polio), minute virus of mice (MVM), and reovirus type 3 (Reo 3) infected murine colonies revealed a 30% higher incidence of positive sera when enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed instead of hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests. Equivalent sensitivity as in the ELISA was obtained when the same sera were investigated by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) tests. The virus purification techniques described resulted in highly suitable antigens for all indirect ELISA established. Since IIF requires no purified antigens, this test is recommended as an alternative to ELISA as well as to HI and complement fixation (CF) tests for laboratories lacking the necessary equipment for high speed centrifugation. A high incidence of false positive HI reactions was found particularly in Reo 3 routine serology. An updated survey of seromonitoring showed that European murine colonies appeared to be infected far less with Reo 3 if ELISA or IIF tests were employed. During 1982-1984, only 13% of the mouse colonies screened possessed Reo 3 positive sera whereas no natural Reo 3 infection was found in rat colonies. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and the coronaviruses of rats exhibited the highest incidence in murine colonies. A total of 60% of mouse and 41% of rat colonies were found to be infected by these viruses. In comparison with earlier serological surveys, the relative incidence of other murine infections was similar. Antibodies against Bacillus piliformis (Tyzzer's disease) were detected by the IIF test in 41% of the rat colonies screened.
Insights
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence (IF) tests offer superior sensitivity for detecting viral infections in mouse colonies compared to traditional hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests. These advanced methods improve serological monitoring accuracy for crucial animal health surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Animal Health Monitoring
- Immunoserology
Background:
- Traditional serological methods like hemagglutination inhibition (HI) may underestimate the prevalence of viral infections in laboratory animals.
- Accurate disease surveillance in murine colonies is critical for research integrity and animal welfare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the diagnostic sensitivity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence (IF) tests against hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and complement fixation (CF) tests for detecting common murine viruses.
- To update the seroprevalence data for various viral infections in European murine and rat colonies.
Main Methods:
- Comparative serological analysis of murine sera using ELISA, indirect immunofluorescence (IF), HI, and complement fixation (CF) tests.
- Evaluation of virus purification techniques for antigen suitability in ELISA.
- Serological screening of mouse and rat colonies for Sendai virus, PVM, mouse encephalomyelitis virus, MVM, Reo 3, MHV, rat coronaviruses, and Bacillus piliformis.
Main Results:
- ELISA and IF tests detected a 30% higher incidence of positive sera compared to HI tests.
- False positive HI reactions were common for Reovirus type 3 (Reo 3).
- Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and rat coronaviruses showed the highest prevalence (60% in mice, 41% in rats).
- Antibodies against Bacillus piliformis were found in 41% of rat colonies via IF.
Conclusions:
- ELISA and IF are recommended as more sensitive alternatives to HI and CF tests for routine seromonitoring of murine virus infections.
- IIF is a viable alternative for labs without high-speed centrifugation equipment.
- Updated serosurveys indicate lower Reo 3 prevalence when using ELISA or IF, and high rates of MHV and coronavirus infections.