PED-TRFIA: PEDV early on-site detection based on the time-resolved fluorescence ImmunoAssay

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infections have a significant impact on the global pig industry. To address the need for on-site detection of PEDV, the paper-based lateral flow immunoassay offers a promising approach, characterized by its simplicity of operation, rapid detection capabilities, and the elimination of expensive instrumentation. However, commonly used signal labels, such as colloidal gold nanoparticles and quantum dots have limitations in sensitivity. To overcome this issue, our study developed a PEDV early on-site detection method based on the Time-Resolved Fluorescence ImmunoAssay (PED-TRFIA), specifically designed to detect PEDV antigens of both the PEDV GI and GII genotypes.

PED-TRFIA demonstrated a lower limit of detection (LOD) up to 9.76 × 10² TCID₅₀/mL, which is 64 times higher than that of commercial kits. Furthermore, it exhibited excellent selectivity, as evaluated using various control samples such as PRRSV, PRV, TGEV, PEDV GI, PEDV GII, and negative samples. The coefficients of variation (CVs) for PEDV positive and negative standard samples were 6.52 % and 14.35 %, respectively, indicating good repeatability of PED-TRFIA. The method achieved a perfect 100 % accuracy in differentiating positive and negative targets from clinical samples. Additionally, by utilizing the paper-based lateral flow immunoassay and a PED-TRFIA reader, the entire PEDV detection process can be completed in the field within 15 min. Therefore, PED-TRFIA can be a promising tool for the diagnosis, prevention, and control of PEDV, particularly suited for field applications.

PED-TRFIA directly targets the antigen and employs time-resolved fluorescence microspheres (TRFMs) encapsulating Eu³⁺ nanoparticles to significantly amplify the fluorescence signal while effectively suppressing background fluorescence, thereby enhancing its sensitivity and facilitating early detection. Furthermore, this method can rapidly detect both GI and GII mutated genotypes of PEDV through simple operations using low-cost devices in the field.