Original Research

Validation of an ELISA for the concurrent detection of total antibodies (IgM and IgG) to Rift Valley fever virus

Charlotte E. Ellis, Vuyokazi E. Mareledwane, Roy Williams, David B. Wallace, Phelix A.O. Majiwa
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research | Vol 81, No 1 | a675 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v81i1.675 | © 2014 Charlotte E. Ellis, Vuyokazi E. Mareledwane, Roy Williams, David B. Wallace, Phelix A.O. Majiwa | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 27 August 2013 | Published: 27 May 2014

About the author(s)

Charlotte E. Ellis, Molecular Epidemiology and Diagnostics Programme, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, South Africa
Vuyokazi E. Mareledwane, Molecular Epidemiology and Diagnostics Programme, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, South Africa
Roy Williams, Molecular Epidemiology and Diagnostics Programme, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, South Africa
David B. Wallace, New Generation Vaccine Programme, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, South Africa
Phelix A.O. Majiwa, Molecular Epidemiology and Diagnostics Programme, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, South Africa

Abstract

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) infects humans and livestock, causing haemorrhaging andabortions in animals. Three major RVF epizootics have occurred in South Africa since the1950s and the outbreak in 2010 had a mortality rate of 10.7% in humans. Accurate and earlydetection is therefore essential for management of this zoonotic disease. Enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have been developed for the detection of either IgM or IgGantibodies to RVFV in animal sera. In this study, data are presented on the validation of adouble-antigen ELISA for the simultaneous detection of both classes of antibodies to RVFV ina single test. ELISA plates were coated with a recombinant nucleoprotein. The nucleoprotein,conjugated to horseradish peroxidase, was used as the detecting reagent. A total of 534 serafrom sheep and cattle were used in the validation. The sheep sera were collected during a RVFpathogenesis study at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) – Onderstepoort VeterinaryInstitute and the cattle sera were collected during an outbreak of RVF in 2008 at the ARC –Animal Production Institute in Irene, Pretoria. The ELISA had a diagnostic sensitivity of 98.4%and a specificity of 100% when compared to a commercial cELISA. This convenient and fastassay is suitable for use in serological surveys or monitoring immune responses in vaccinatedanimals.


Keywords

diagnosis; ELISA; Rift Valley fever virus

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