The application of monoclonal antibody panels to characterize pestivirus isolates from ruminants in Great Britain

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Abstract
Summary Monoclonal antibodies were prepared against bovine virus diarrhoea virus and hog cholera virus. They were used to test 101 field isolates of ruminant pestivirus in a simple binding assay using an indirect immunoperoxidase label on fixed cell cultures. The monoclonals were divided into three panels: (1) pestivirus group specific, (2) hog cholera specific, (3) selectively reactive with ruminant pestiviruses. The reaction patterns with panel 3 were analyzed by a computer spreadsheet to determine the percentage match with seven reference patterns. Field viruses could be divided into two main groups. Group A consisted of 73 (87%) of the 84 bovine isolates and three (19%) of the 16 ovine, and was reactive with 40% or more of panel 3. Group B showed only limited reactivity with panel 3 and comprised 13/16 (81%) of the ovine (border disease) isolates together with the remaining 11 (13%) bovine viruses.