The ELISA technique for the detection and evaluation of rinderpest

As part of the Pan African Rinderpest Campaign, sero-surveillance is required to monitor the success of the national vaccination programmes and to assist in identifying foci of infection in the latter stages of the campaign. The FAO/IAEA ELISA based system for rinderpest sero-monitoring was successfully introduced into the National Veterinary Institute, Debre Zeit. The ELISA was compared with the virus neutralization test and found to give comparable results (94% agreement). For routine use of the assay a local negative value for cattle was established and subsequently this local negative control was used in the testing of all field sera. A sampling frame was prepared in such a manner that results derived from the sera collected would be representative of the country as a whole. At the time of sampling, detailed information on the animals being tested was obtained and submitted to the National Veterinary Institute along with the sera for testing. In the initial survey, 15,000 sera were collected from throughout the country and to-date, 9,000 tested by the ELISA for the presence of antibodies to rinderpest virus. Overall, 76% of the animals were found to be immune although considerable cocal variation occurred. The surveillance system proved to be an invaluable tool in monitoring the vaccination programme and providing the rinderpest national coordinator with detailed information on the success of the programme on a district to district basis and thus pinpointing areas where revaccination was required. (author). 3 refs, 1 fig., 2 tabs