Detection of equine infectious anemia virus in horse leukocyte cultures derived from horses in various stages of equine infectious anemia viral infection.

This research investigates the detection of equine infectious anemia (EIA) virus in horse leukocyte cultures obtained from horses at different stages of the EIA infection, and finds that the pony inoculation test is most reliable for detecting this virus.

Overview

Using different testing methodologies, the study analyzed the presence of the EIA virus in Horse leukocyte cultures (HLC), which are cell cultures derived from horses. These horses were at different stages of the EIA infection, including febrile (feverish), acute, subacute, chronic, and inapparent carrier stages.

Use of Different Methods for Virus Detection

• The research applied ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), a common lab test used for detecting antigens (substances that evoke immune responses), to detect the virus in HLC supernatants (liquid component of a culture). It found that those horses with ELISA-positive and AGID (agar-gel immunodiffusion test)-negative results did not carry the infective EIA virus.
• EIA virus was detected in a HLC infected with the Wyoming strain of EIA virus, and in HLC from horses in the febrile, acute, or subacute stages. However, the virus was not found in HLC from chronic and inapparent (symptomless) carrier horses.

Fluorescent Antibody Tests for Virus Detection

• Fluorescent antibody tests were used to detect the virus in HLC infected with other doses of the virus and in half of the HLC from febrile acute or subacute horses.
• However, using this method, the virus was not detected in HLC derived from chronic and inapparent carrier horses.

The Best Method for Detecting EIA Virus

• The pony inoculation test, where a test pony is injected with potentially contaminated material and then monitored for disease, was found to be the most reliable and accurate method for detecting the infective EIA virus. This test’s results accurately correlated with the AGID test, often used as a reference for EIA detection.