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A survey for antibodies to equine arteritis virus in donkeys, mules and zebra using virus neutralisation (VN) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
Author(s) -
PAWESKA J. T.,
BINNS M. M.,
WOODS P S. A.,
CHIRNSIDE E. D.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1997.tb01634.x
Subject(s) - donkey , virology , equidae , antibody , virus , neutralization , horse , antigen , recombinant dna , biology , veterinary medicine , medicine , immunology , ecology , paleontology , biochemistry , gene
Summary A seroepidemiological survey of donkeys in South Africa (n = 4300) indicated a wide distribution and increasing prevalence of antibodies to equine arteritis virus (EAV). Donkey sera inhibited equine arteritis virus infection in virus neutralisation (VN) tests and in ELISA specifically bound to a recombinant antigen derived from the Bucyrus isolate of EAV. These results suggest that donkeys have been exposed to the same serotype of this virus as circulates among horses. A good correlation existed between EAV neutralising antibody titres and ELISA absorbance values (0.8631); the ELISA was sensitive and specific (99.2% and 80.3% respectively) for donkey sera when compared to the VN test and the recombinant ELISA antigen did not cross‐react with sera positive for common African equine pathogens. VN + ELISA + donkeys were also found in Morocco and Zimbabwe and seropositive mules in both South Africa and Morocco. No seropositive zebra (n = 266) were detected from game reserves or zoos in 9 countries. The results confirm that in addition to horses and donkeys, mules are naturally infected with EAV.