Detection of IgM antibodies against canine distemper virus in dog and mink sera employing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of IgM antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV) in canine and mink serum is described. The diagnostic potential of this technique was evaluated by analyzing sera from natural or experimental infections in dog and mink and negative control sera. These results were compared with results obtained in the developed CDV IgG ELISA and in the virus neutralization test. The IgM test, which requires only a single serum specimen, is a useful method for diagnosing current or recent CDV infections in dog and mink. Canine distemper (CD) is a contagious systemic viral disease with often high mortality rates in dogs and other carnivores throughout the world. Canine dis- temper is caused by canine distemper virus a morbillivirus in the paramyxovirus family. An acute primary CDV infection may induce a specific antibody response. An antibody titer rise in paired serum samples is of decisive diagnostic impor- tance. The detection of an increased titer of CDV an- tibodies employing the neutralization test, 5 precipita- tion test, 24 complement fixation test, 13 cytotoxic test, 20