Application of a Complement Fixation Test Using Inactivated Antigen to the Safe Diagnosis of Equine Viral Arteritis

Several serological tests have been re ported for detection of antibodies to equine arteritis virus (EAV) by serum neutralization1-3) (SN), complement fixa tion4-6) (CF), immunodiffusion4), immu nofluorescence4) and enzyme-linked im munosorbent assay7,8). Although SN test is currently and widely carried out by the method of micro-neutralization3) in the presence of complement for diagnosis and sero-survey of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a set of live virus, susceptible cell culture and fresh guinea pig serum should be kept all the time and maintained to be best suited. The CF test, however, can be simply and readily used in order to meet an unexpected requirement for diagnosis of EVA. It has been reported that an tigen of CF test for EVA was prepared by virus grown in cell cultures4-6). Such antigen may contain live viruses and is not always allowed to use in all of the diagnostic laboratories in the countries free from EVA. The purpose of the present study is to develop and evaluate a safe CF test for EVA using inactivated virus antigen. CF antigen was prepared by roller bot tle culture of E. Derm (Equine dermal) cells inoculated with modified Bucyrus strain of equine arteritis virus as described previously6), and the finally obtained culture fluid was partially puri fied and concentrated to 1/25 volume by polyethylene glycol precipitation as de scribed in the previous paper9). The Received for publication ; June 30, 1993 1) Epizootic Research Station, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4. Shiba, Kokubunji-cho, Shimotsuga-gun Tochigi 329-04 JAPAN.