Diagnosing infectious porcine diseases using immunohistochemistry

This review describes the foundations, methodology, applications, advantages, and disadvantages of immunohistochemistry used for the diagnosis of swine infectious disease. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) relies on the binding of immunoglobulins to antigens present in tissues. Numerous proteins from infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi) can be detected with this technique. The antigen-antibody reaction is revealed by an enzymatic reaction or the color emission of a fluorochrome. Due to the specificity and sensitivity of this reaction, IHC is an excellent alternative to more complex, expensive, and time-consuming laboratory procedures such as virus isolation or microbiological culture.