A dot immunobinding assay in comparison with the gel diffusion test for the detection of equine herpesvirus-1 antigen from field samples.

The authors describe a rapid and simple dot immunobinding assay (DIA) for detection and identification of equine herpesvirus-1 antigen in field samples from cases of abortion, stillbirth, perinatal foal mortality and paralysis. The assay employs a nitrocellulose membrane to which antigen is adsorbed as a dot. Antigen is identified as a coloured dot using a procedure based on the principle of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In all, 61 samples were tested by DIA and the test was compared with conventional agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID). With DIA, 44 (72%) samples gave positive results, while only 22 of 61 (36%) samples tested positive by AGID. DIA was observed to be rapid, more sensitive and more specific than AGID, in addition to the obvious advantage of being reagent-conservative, inexpensive and simple to perform.