Performance assessment of imported ELISA in the serodiagnosis of the enzootic bovine leukosis in herds of Pernambuco state, Brazil / Avaliação do desempenho de ELISA importado no sorodiagnóstico da leucose enzoótica bovina em rebanhos do estado de Pernambuco, Brasil

Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is an infectious disease of cosmopolitan distribution and chronic character caused by a virus of the Retroviridae family, bovine leukemia virus (BLV). The epidemiological situation of EBL in Brazil has motivated studies to improve its diagnosis, based on the recommended serological techniques: agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This study was designed to evaluate the use of imported ELISA for the detection of BLV in dairy herds raised in Pernambuco, Brazil, comparing it to AGID. Blood serum samples from 327 dairy cattle from the state of Pernambuco were tested to AGID and the imported commercial ELISA CHEKIT-Leucose-serum, produced by the IDEXX® laboratory for the diagnosis of EBL. Discarding 25 inconclusive samples from one or both tests, 302 samples were analyzed, being 24.1% positive (73/302) in the AGID and 45% (136/302) in the ELISA, which compared to the AGID, a technique considered standard, presented sensitivity of 98.6%, specificity of 72% and Kappa coefficient of 0.55. The lack of agreement in the diagnostic methods was probably due to the high sensitivity of the ELISA, which makes it possible to detect antibodies even in situations with low serum levels. Although AGID has been shown to be an efficient test so far, in more advanced stages of an EBL control and eradication program, with low prevalence rates, ELISA will present better performance, due to its higher sensitivity, avoiding the permanence of animals that spread the disease in the herds.(AU)

A leucose enzoótica bovina (LEB) é uma doença infecciosa de distribuição cosmopolita e caráter crônico causada por um vírus da família Retroviridae, o vírus da leucemia bovina (VLB). A situação epidemiológica da LEB no Brasil vem motivando estudos para o aprimoramento do seu diagnóstico, tendo como base as técnicas sorológicas recomendadas: imunodifusão em gel de ágar (IDGA) e Enzyme-Linked Immunoabsorbent Assay (ELISA). Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o uso de ELISA importado para a detecção do VLB em rebanhos leiteiros criados em Pernambuco, Brasil, comparando-o ao IDGA. Amostras de soro sanguíneo de 327 bovinos leiteiros do estado de Pernambuco foram testadas para IDGA e ELISA comercial importado CHEKIT-Leucose-serum, produzido pelo laboratório IDEXX® para o diagnóstico da LEB. Descartadas 25 amostras inconclusivas de um ou ambos os testes, foram analisadas 302 amostras, sendo 24,1% positivas (73/302) na IDGA e 45% (136/302) no ELISA, que em relação à IDGA, técnica considerada padrão, apresentou sensibilidade de 98,6%, especificidade de 72% e coeficiente Kappa de 0.55. A falta de concordância entre os métodos diagnósticos deveu-se, provavelmente, à elevada sensibilidade do ELISA, que possibilita detectar anticorpos mesmo em situações com baixos teores séricos. Apesar da IDGA se mostrar até o momento um teste eficiente, em etapas mais avançadas de um programa de controle e erradicação da LEB, com baixos índices de prevalência, o ELISA apresentará melhor desempenho, por possuir maior sensibilidade, evitando-se a permanência de animais disseminadores da doença nos rebanhos.​(AU)

Quantification of bovine leukemia virus proviral DNA using a low-cost real-time polymerase chain reaction.

The detection of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) proviral DNA is an important tool to address whether an animal is infected with BLV. Compared with serological assays, real-time PCR accounts for greater sensitivity and can serve as a confirmatory test for the clarification of inconclusive or discordant serological test results. However, the high cost related to real-time PCR assays has limited their systematic inclusion in BLV surveillance and eradication programs. The aim of the present study was to validate a low-cost quantitative real-time PCR. Interestingly, by using SYBR Green detection dye, we were able to reduce the cost of a single reaction by a factor of 5 compared with most common assays based on the use of fluorogenic probes (i.e., TaqMan technology). This approach allowed a highly sensitive and specific detection and quantification of BLV proviral DNA from purified peripheral blood leukocytes and a milk matrix. Due to its simplicity and low cost, our in-house BLV SYBR quantitative real-time PCR might be used either as a screening or as a confirmatory test in BLV control programs.

Cost-effectiveness of bulk-tank milk testing for surveys to demonstrate freedom from infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and bovine enzootic leucosis in Switzerland.

In Switzerland, annual surveys to substantiate freedom from infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) are implemented by a random allocation of farms to the respective survey as well as blood sampling of individual animals at farm level. Contrary to many other European countries, bulk-tank milk (BTM) samples have not been used for active cattle disease surveillance for several years in Switzerland. The aim of this project was to provide a financial comparison between the current surveillance programme consisting of blood sampling only and a modified surveillance programme including BTM sampling. A financial spreadsheet model was used for cost comparison. Various surveillance scenarios were tested with different sample sizes and sampling frequencies for BTM samples. The costs could be halved without compromising the power to substantiate the freedom from IBR and EBL through the surveillance programme. Alternatively, the sensitivity could be markedly increased when keeping the costs at the actual level and doubling the sample size. The risk-based sample size of the actual programme results in a confidence of 94,18 % that the farm level prevalence is below 0,2 %. Which the doubled sample size, the confidence is 99,69 % respectively.

Using scenario tree modelling for targeted herd sampling to substantiate freedom from disease.

BACKGROUND: In order to optimise the cost-effectiveness of active surveillance to substantiate freedom from disease, a new approach using targeted sampling of farms was developed and applied on the example of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) in Switzerland. Relevant risk factors (RF) for the introduction of IBR and EBL into Swiss cattle farms were identified and their relative risks defined based on literature review and expert opinions. A quantitative model based on the scenario tree method was subsequently used to calculate the required sample size of a targeted sampling approach (TS) for a given sensitivity. We compared the sample size with that of a stratified random sample (sRS) with regard to efficiency. RESULTS: The required sample sizes to substantiate disease freedom were 1,241 farms for IBR and 1,750 farms for EBL to detect 0.2% herd prevalence with 99% sensitivity. Using conventional sRS, the required sample sizes were 2,259 farms for IBR and 2,243 for EBL. Considering the additional administrative expenses required for the planning of TS, the risk-based approach was still more cost-effective than a sRS (40% reduction on the full survey costs for IBR and 8% for EBL) due to the considerable reduction in sample size. CONCLUSIONS: As the model depends on RF selected through literature review and was parameterised with values estimated by experts, it is subject to some degree of uncertainty. Nevertheless, this approach provides the veterinary authorities with a promising tool for future cost-effective sampling designs.

Rapid detection of specific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against bovine leukemia virus.

ELISA and Western blot have been used for detecting specific antibodies or antigens for routine diagnostic laboratory tests and experimental protocols, as well as for screening hybridomas secreting antibodies. Although these techniques are sensitive, some slow growing hybridomas are identified as positive only when they are grown slowly long time. We standardized the dot-ELISA, a more sensitive technique, for the detection of antibodies against BLV. The main advantages of the dot-ELISA described in this study are (a) its sensitivity, detecting hybridomas which would otherwise be considered negative and discarded from the results of indirect ELISA and/or Western blot; and (b) the possibility of economizing reagents using as little as 1 microl of the antigen and 0.5 microl of antibody and conjugate. Different BLV-antigen preparations were bound to nitrocellulose membranes (NC), including cells lysed chemically (LYS) or by sonication (SOC), semi-purified virus (PV), and supernatant from infected cultures, either without treatment (SUP) or sonicated (SOS). The antigen preparations most adequate for detecting monoclonal antibodies against BLV and polyclonal antibodies in cattle sera were undiluted cell lysates (LYS) and semi-purified BLV (PV). When testing bovine sera, the supernatant (SUP) and sonicated supernatant (SOS) antigens gave a high background due to the presence of FCS which reacted with the anti-bovine labeled antibodies. In this study, 59 BLV specific antibody secreting hybridomas were identified using the dot-ELISA, compared to only 20 detected using iELISA, and doubtful reactions due to nonspecific binding to fetal calf serum (FCS) and cellular components were measured. The results of the improved dot-ELISA described may be stored at room temperature for future reference. Results were consistently reproducible in coated nitrocellulose membranes kept at different storage temperatures (-20 degrees C, 4 degrees C, and 25-30 degrees C) 48 h, 1 week and 5 months.