Diagnostic test for CSFV antibodies
The present invention relates to the field of veterinary diagnostics, specifically to a test for the detection of antibodies against CSFV. In particular the invention relates to a method for detecting antibodies against wild type CSFV in a test sample, characterized in that the method comprises co-incubating with a carrier comprising a mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2 protein. Further, the invention relates to a diagnostic test kit, and to the use of the method according to the invention. In addition the invention relates to a method for differentiating between animals infected with wild type CSFV and animals that were vaccinated against CSFV with a CSFV (marker) vaccine, and to a method for controlling an infection with wild type CSFV in a population of porcine animals, by the combined use of a CSFV (marker) vaccine and the diagnostic test kit of the invention.
1. A method for detecting antibodies against wildtype classical swine fever virus (CSFV) in a test sample, whereby said sample may also comprise antibodies against a mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2, the method comprising a step for incubating said test sample with an immobilized carrier comprising a TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; wherein the method comprises co-incubating in said step with a carrier comprising a mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2 comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2 and SEQ ID NO: 3.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection is performed by ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbant assay).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test sample is obtained from a porcine animal that had been vaccinated against CSF with a CSFV vaccine comprising a CSFV E2 protein comprising the mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope.
4. A diagnostic test kit for implementing the method of claim 3 .
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2 that is comprised in the carrier for use in co-incubating, is the same as the mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope comprised in the CSFV E2 protein of a CSFV vaccine that was used to vaccinate the porcine animals from which the test sample was obtained.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the CSFV vaccine was based on the vFlc-ΔPTa1 virus.
7. A diagnostic test kit for implementing the method of claim 5 .
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2 that is comprised in the carrier for use in co-incubating comprising the amino acid sequence of TAGSTLRTE (SEQ ID NO: 2).
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the CSFV vaccine was based on a vFlc-ΔPTa1 virus.
10. A diagnostic test kit for implementing the method of claim 8 .
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein either the immobilised carrier comprising a TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2, or the carrier comprising a mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2, is a CSFV E2 protein, or wherein both the carriers are CSFV E2 proteins.
12. The method of claim 1 , comprising adapting the incubation conditions of the step comprising co-incubating with a carrier comprising the mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope of CSFV E2, to accommodate for the addition of said carrier.
13. A diagnostic test kit for implementing the method of claim 1 .
14. A method for controlling an infection with wildtype CSFV in a population of porcine animals, by the combined use of a CSFV vaccine comprising a CSFV E2 protein comprising a mutated TAVSPTTLR epitope, and the diagnostic test kit of claim 13 .