AC-ELISA and RT-PCR assays for the diagnosis of triatoma virus (TrV)

MARTI GERARDO ANÍBAL; GONZÁLEZ ESTER TERESA; GARCÍA JUAN JOSÉ; VIGUERA ANA ROSA; GUERIN DIEGO; ECHEVERRIA MARIA GABRIELA

ARCHIVES OF VIROLOGY

Springer

Año: 2008 vol. 153 p. 1427 - 1432

0304-8608

Triatoma virus (TrV) is the only entomopathogenic virus found in triatomines. TrV replicates in cells of the midgut epithelium of triatomines, causing a high mortality rate and delayed development of the infected insect. In this work we report an antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (AC-ELISA) and a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for detection of TrV infection. For antiserum production rabbits and hens where inoculated with purified TrV. Antiserum reactivity was checked by immunodiffusion and its specificity was confirmed by western blot and AC-ELISA. Ninety fecal samples from T. infestans were analysed. AC-ELISA and RT-PCR results correlated well with transmission electron microscopy (EM) observations considered as the gold standard analysis with Kappa value of 0.73 for AC-ELISA and 0.93 for RT-PCR when compared with EM. Applications and complementary uses of the two techniques reported in this work are discussed.