Studies on bovine virus diarrhea: serum neutralization, complement-fixation and immunofluorescence

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Immunoserology

Background:

• Bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) poses a significant threat to cattle health.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective disease management.
• Serological methods are key for detecting BVD virus and antibodies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the efficacy of complement-fixation, serum neutralization, and fluorescent-antibody techniques for BVD diagnosis.
• To determine the optimal serological method for detecting recent versus long-standing BVD infections.
• To assess the utility of the fluorescent antibody technique for rapid antigen detection.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of modified direct complement-fixation (MDCF), serum neutralization (SN), and fluorescent antibody technique (FAT).
• Detection of antibodies in bovine sera using MDCF and SN tests.
• Detection of BVD viral antigens in cell cultures and fetal tissues using FAT.

Main Results:

• MDCF test demonstrated accuracy comparable to SN test for antibody detection but was less time-consuming.
• MDCF antibodies were detectable for weeks to months, indicating recent infections.
• FAT effectively detected viral antigens of both cytopathogenic and noncytopathogenic BVD strains.
• FAT significantly reduced the time for viral antigen detection compared to SN and virus interference tests.

Conclusions:

• MDCF test is a valuable tool for identifying recent BVD infections in cattle.
• FAT offers a rapid and efficient method for detecting BVD viral antigens in clinical specimens.
• Combining these serological techniques enhances diagnostic capabilities for BVD control programs.