Evaluation of a hemolysis-in-gel test for detection and quantitation of antibodies to bluetongue virus

Abstract

A hemolysis-in-gel (HIG) test was developed to detect and quantitate antibody to bluetongue virus (BTV). The HIG test was sensitive and accurate when applied to sera from sheep and cattle infected with BTV. Sensitized sheep RBC were prepared by adsorption of partly purified BTV to the cells. Regression analysis of data showed a linear relationship between the diameter of the hemolytic zone and the log of the antibody concentration. The HIG test did not differentiate among antiodies to four serotypes of BTV, but did differentiate between antibody of BTV and antibody to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus.