[ELISA identification of agents causing light cytopathic effect isolated during the neuropathy outbreak in Cuba,...

Using as a reference the strain 44/93 isolated during the neuropathy epidemic in 1991 and characterized as a producer of a light cytopathic effect (L-CPE), it was possible the standardization of an ELISA for the fast identification of other strains with similar effect. The assay consisted in a sandwich-type ELISA where the conditions selected for each reactive (10 micrograms/mL for the coating antibody, 1 mg/mL for the antigen, and dilution 1/2,000 for the conjugate) allowed to have an adequate discrimination between the antigen and the antigen control for the reference strain used. The evaluation of a panel of reference viral strains and of other L-CPE producing strains showed a 100% of coincidence between this method and the isolation in cellular culture. The results obtained permit us to recommend the use of this assay as a more precise alternative to identify these agents.