Improved serodiagnosis of CAE and OPP
An investigation of unexpected positives caused by an interfering factor in fresh samples in isolated cases
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20173394Keywords:
Caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus, pneumonia virus, small ruminant lentivirus, goats, sheep, testing kit, anomalous positivesAbstract
Caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) and ovine progressive pneumonia virus (OPPV) are small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) that persistently infect goats and sheep, causing significant economic loss for producers. An integrative program of serological testing to identify infected animals coupled with appropriate management practices is pivotal for disease control efforts. VMRD’s SRLV cELISA kit is a USDA licensed assay widely used to detect antibodies to CAEV and OPPV in goats and sheep with excellent sensitivity and specificity. This study investigated reports of occasional anomalous positives in individual animals when samples were tested fresh that reverted to negative after the sample was stored. An improved version of the assay was optimized to accommodate for this sporadic issue with some freshly collected samples without sacrificing sensitivity or specificity.