An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of mouse polyomavirus-specific antibodies in laboratory mice

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection and quantification of IgM and IgG serum antibodies to mouse polyomavirus (MPV). To evaluate the potential of this ELISA for the screening of laboratory rodents, serum samples from specific pathogen free (SPF) BALB/c RIVM mice, collected after experimental intraperitoneal infection with MPV, were tested by this assay. The results were compared with those obtained from the same sera in an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and a haemagglutination inhibition assay (HIA). The ELISA proved to be the most sensitive of the 3 assays, allowing the detection of seropositive animals within 7 days post-infection and giving antibody titres that were about 4 to 8 times higher than those found in the IFA and HIA respectively. More than 5000 serum samples from non-infected specific pathogen free laboratory mice and 90 from 10 SPF N:NIH/RIVM mice experimentally infected with K-papovavirus, were negative in this assay, thus confirming the specificity of the ELISA.