A multi-species indirect ELISA for detection of non-structural protein 3ABC specific antibodies to foot-and-mouth disease virus

Reliable diagnostic tests that are able to distinguish infected from vaccinated animals are a critical component of regional control programs for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the affected countries. Non-structural protein (NSP) serology based on the 3ABC protein has been widely used for this purpose, and several kits are commercially available worldwide. This report presents the development of a 3ABC-antigen-based indirect ELISA, employing a peroxidase-conjugated protein G secondary antibody that can detect antibodies from multiple species. Recombinant 3ABC protein was expressed in insect cells and purified using affinity column chromatography. Using this protein, an indirect ELISA was developed and validated for the detection of NSP antibodies in serum samples collected from animals with different status of FMD. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were found to be 95.8 (95 % CI: 92.8–97.8) and 97.45 % (95 % CI: 94.8–99.0), respectively. The in-house ELISA compared well with the commercially available prioCHECK FMDV NS-FMD kit, with a high agreement between the tests, as determined by the kappa coefficient, which was 0.87. The in-house ELISA showed higher sensitivity for detecting vaccinated and subsequently infected animals, when compared to the reference test. Both of the tests were able to detect NSP antibodies as early as 7–8 days after experimental infection.