Specific diagnostic method for St. Louis Encephalitis Virus using a non-structural protein as antigen

SIMARI, MILAGROS BELÉN; GOÑI, SANDRA ELIZABETH; LUPPO, VICTORIA C; FABBRI, CINTIA M; ARGÜELLES, MARCELO H; LOZANO, MARIO E; MORALES, MARÍA A; IGLESIAS, NÉSTOR G

JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY

SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY

Lugar: London; Año: 2019

0022-1317

St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a mosquito-borne reemerging flavivirus in Argentina. It is currently necessary to develop specific serological tests that can efficiently discriminate the flaviviruses that circulate in our country. The immunoassays to diagnose SLEV lack specificity because they are based on the detection of structuralviral proteins and the human immunoglobulins produced during infection against these proteins cross-react with other flaviviruses. Here, we describe an enzymeimmunoassay designed to detect human IgG antibodies specific to the viral nonstructural protein NS5. The results indicate that NS5 is a promising antigen useful to discriminate SLEV from other circulating flaviviruses.