Open AccessSpecific diagnostic method for St. Louis encephalitis virus using a non-structural protein as the antigen
Author(s) -
Milagros Belén Simari,
Sandra Elizabeth Goñi,
Victoria Luppo,
Cintia Fabbri,
Marcelo H. Argüelles,
Mario Enrique Lozano,
María Alejandra Morales,
Néstor Gabriel Iglesias
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of general virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1465-2099
pISSN - 0022-1317
DOI - 10.1099/jgv.0.001359
Subject(s) - virology , biology , flavivirus , serology , encephalitis , antigen , immunoassay , japanese encephalitis , antibody , virus , capsid , structural protein , zika virus , immunology
St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a mosquito-borne re-emerging flavivirus in Argentina. It is currently necessary to develop specific serological tests that can efficiently discriminate the flaviviruses that circulate in our country. The immunoassays to diagnose SLEV lack specificity because they are based on the detection of structural viral proteins and the human immunoglobulins produced during infection against these proteins cross-react with other flaviviruses. Here, we describe an enzyme-immunoassay designed to detect human IgG antibodies specific to the viral non-structural protein NS5. The results indicate that NS5 is a promising antigen useful to discriminate SLEV from other circulating flaviviruses.