Abstract
The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to detect antibodies to equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) in horses. The antigen was a preparation obtained by solubilizing virus-infected cells with Nonidet P-40 (NP-40). The ELISA values were almost constant in the antigen protein concentration range of 5-1μg/well in the reaction with EHV-1 positive serum. The average ELISA value of the negative serum in 11 cases was 0.236. Changes in ELISA values and neutralizing antibody titers were compared using sera collected at intervals of about 1 week after inoculation of EHV-1 inactivated vaccine. The ELISA values and neutralizing antibody titers showed similar changes, but the detection sensitivity of ELISA was excellent in sera collected 1-2 weeks after inoculation. From these results, it might be possible to apply ELISA for the detection of EHV-1 antibodies.
