Use of a group-reactive and other monoclonal antibodies in an enzyme immunodot assay for identification and presumptive serotyping of aquatic birnaviruses.

A panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) was prepared and used to develop an enzyme immunodot assay for the rapid identification and presumptive serotyping of aquatic birnaviruses. Comparison of the reaction patterns of these MAbs with representative virus isolates indicated that one MAb recognizes a serogroup-reactive epitope and can therefore be used for identification of all serogroup A aquatic birnaviruses, the predominant serotype worldwide. Other MAbs exhibited more restrictive specificities, permitting the presumptive serotyping of viruses of the three recognized serotypes and the identification of some individual strains. This assay, in which MAbs are used, is more efficient in terms of time, cost, and case of performance and provides significant advantages in specificity and standardization compared with currently used tests.