Single dilution ELISA for detection of serum antibody to foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle

A single dilution blocking ELISA was developed and evaluated for measuring serum antibody to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Basic parameters of the assay were established and a positive-negative threshold determined from testing 176 specific antibody negative sera from Australian cattle. Sera collected from immunised animals in Thailand were tested by ELISA and virus-neutralisation (VN) tests and the results compared. A positive correlation between ELISA and VN titres was recorded for each of the 3 FMDV serotypes endemic in Thailand, with the overall correlation coefficient being r = 0.8990. A positive correlation for each of the serotypes was also found between ELISA titre and the degree of blocking (percentage inhibition) of each test serum at a dilution of 1:16, with the overall correlation being r = 0.8704. This simplified ELISA was sensitive, specific and gave reproducible results, and had the potential to test quickly and efficiently a considerable number of sera.