An antigen trapping ELISA for the detection of capripoxvirus in tissue culture supernatant and biopsy samples.

A trapping ELISA for the detection of capripoxvirus antigen in tissue culture supernatant and biopsy material was developed, using a guinea-pig polyclonal detector antiserum raised against a recombinant capripoxvirus specific antigen, expressed in Escherichia coli using the plasmid vector pGEX-2T. The ELISA detected antigen in tissue culture samples that on virus titration contained equal to or in excess of 10(2.8) TCID50/ml. Virus isolation and ELISA were compared for the detection of capripoxvirus in skin biopsy samples from sheep, goats and cattle. The ELISA compared well with virus isolation, and has applications as a diagnostic test. This assay reduces the reliance of diagnostic laboratories on tissue culture facilities, and can be used to confirm the presence of capripoxvirus in tissue culture.