Detection of high levels of canine herpes virus-1 neutralising antibody in kennel dogs using a novel serum neutralisation test.

It is widely held that only cells of canine origin support canine herpesvirus-1 (CHV-1) replication and, that cytopathic effect (CPE) develops relatively slowly. Here we show that mink fetal lung cells (NBL-7 cell line) are permissive for CHV-1 and can be used to produce a sensitive test for neutralising antibody by plaque reduction in the presence of complement. The test was applied to the investigation of CHV-1 virus neutralising antibody levels in three kennel populations. The results showed that 26 out of 28 dogs were neutralising antibody positive (titre >/=2), and, 11 out of 28 had titres of >/=1024. The serum samples were analysed by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA); 27 out of 28 were graded as ELISA IgG positive (titre >/=500) and 26 of 28 were graded as ELISA IgM positive (titre >/=50). Copyright 1999 W.B. Saunders Company Ltd.