| Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) continues to be one of the most significant diseases of swine. A commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; IDEXX HerdChekRTM PRRS) has become the industry standard for the detection of antibodies against PRRS virus (PRRSV). The need to accurately determine the PRRSV serostatus of herds and individual animals has prompted the development of several follow-up assay methods. Virus isolation (VI), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assays are often used. Each assay has limitations that decrease the utility of the information provided. A highly specific and repeatable blocking ELISA (bELISA) was developed to address those limitations. The bELISA was based on an expressed PRRSV nucleocapsid (N) protein as the antigen and a biotinylated monoclonal antibody. Validation of the bELISA used sera from 316 animals experimentally and naturally infected with North American PRRSV and sera from 370 uninfected animals. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
