[Use of monoclonal antibodies for studying the classical hog cholera virus].

Numerous monoclonal antibodies (MAb) to hog cholera virus are a highly specific and effective instrument for studies of this agent. Panels of MAb for differential diagnosis of Pestiviruses are characterized. International reference panel of 30 MAbs is a result of cooperation of European scientists; it was approved as the official reference for assessing all available and new diagnostic agents. MAb permit intraspecies differentiation between hog cholera virus strains and, which is particularly important, between vaccine and field strains. Study of antigenic structure and functional characteristics of surface proteins of the virus with the use of MAb panels helped single out and map the functions of four antigenic sites of surface glycoprotein E2 and detect a relationship between RNAse activity and structural component of another surface glycoprotein E0.