Rapid, whole blood diagnostic test for detecting anti-hantavirus antibody in rats

• Published in: Journal of virological methods Vol. 193; no. 1; pp. 42 - 49
• Main Authors: Amada, Takako, Yoshimatsu, Kumiko, Yasuda, Shumpei P., Shimizu, Kenta, Koma, Takaaki, Hayashimoto, Nobuhito, Gamage, Chandika D., Nishio, Sanae, Takakura, Akira, Arikawa, Jiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.10.2013
• Subjects: amino acids; Animals; antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; antigens; blood; Capsid Proteins - genetics; Diagnostic Tests, Routine - methods; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Female; fever; Hantaan virus; Hantaan virus - genetics; Hantaan virus - immunology; Hantavirus - immunology; Hantavirus Infections - immunology; Hantavirus Infections - veterinary; Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; HFRS; ICG test; IgG; immunoaffinity chromatography; Immunochromatography - methods; immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Laboratory animals; monitoring; nucleocapsid proteins; Rats; Rattus; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Rodent Diseases - diagnosis; Rodent Diseases - immunology; Sensitivity and Specificity; Seoul virus; Sin Nombre virus; Thailand; Viral Core Proteins - genetics; viruses; zoonoses; Thailand; Eurasia; Seoul virus; IgG; Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; Laboratory animals; ICG test; HFRS
• ISSN: 0166-0934; 1879-0984
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2013.04.021

•An immunochromatographic (ICG) strip test for detection of SEOV IgG antibody in sera from Rattus spp. were developed.•Antibody-detecting sensitivity of the ICG test was the same as that of ELISA and about higher than that of IFA.•This ICG test was applicable to both serum and blood.•Sensitivities and specificities of the ICG test were 99.6% and 100%, respectively Hantavirus is a causative agent of rodent-borne viral zoonoses, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Seoul virus (SEOV) is a causative agent of urban and laboratory rat-associated HFRS worldwide. Surveillance of rodents has been done mainly by serological detection of hantavirus-specific antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA). An immunochromatographic (ICG) test was developed with the N-terminal 103 amino acids of nucleocapsid protein of Hantaan virus expressed by Escherichia coli as an antigen to detect IgG antibody specific to hantavirus in sera from Rattus sp. animals. Antibody-detecting sensitivity of the ICG test was the same as that of ELISA and about 100-times higher than that of IFA. Overall sensitivities and specificities of the ICG test in comparison to ELISA and IFA for sera from 192 urban rats and 123 laboratory rats were 99.3% and 100%, respectively. Diluted whole blood samples without separation could be used for the ICG test. The ICG test enabled detection of antibodies to SEOV, Hantaan, Dobrava/Belgrade, and Thailand viruses, which are causative agents of HFRS throughout Eurasia. The ICG test is a rapid, simple and safe method for diagnosis of SEOV infection in rats.