Immunoblot assay: a rapid and sensitive method for identification of salmonid fish viruses.

An immunoblot assay was used to identify the viruses of infectious pancreatic necrosis, infectious hematopoietic necrosis, and viral hemorrhagic septicemia. Viral antigen in infected cell culture supernatant was adsorbed onto nitrocellulose membrane or Whatman 541 filter paper and detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. The immunoblot assay took less than 4 hr to perform and required no special instrumentation. Assays using cell culture supernatant fluids showed immunoblot sensitivity was 10(5) - 10(6) PFU/ml. Assay sensitivity, determined using purified virus, is 0.85-4.0 ng of viral antigen. The immunoblot assay was used to detect and identify virus in cell culture fluids.