HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pratelli, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pratelli, A.

Comparison of serologic techniques for the detection of antibodies against feline coronaviruses

Correspondence: ¹Corresponding Author: Annamaria Pratelli, Department of Animal Health and Well-being, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bari, S.p. per Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy, e-mail: a.pratelli{at}veterinaria.uniba.it

The seroprevalence of feline coronavirus (FCoV) antibodies was studied in cats in southern Italy. One hundred twenty sera collected from cats belonging to catteries or community shelters and to households were tested for FCoV type I and II antibodies. The virus neutralization (VN) was performed and compared with indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Ninety-six sera tested positive for FCoV antibodies by VN and ELISA. Interestingly, ELISA revealed 2 more positive sera than did the VN test and 3 more positive sera than did the IFAT. All results were confirmed by Western blotting. ELISA proved to be more sensitive and detected a seroprevalence of about 82%. Considering the cross-reactivity of FCoV type I and type II, ELISA was able to detect antibodies against both serotypes, allowing the use of the assay as a reference test for sera screening. The high prevalence of antibodies observed indicates that FCoVs are common in southern Italian cat populations.

Key Words: Antibodies • cats • coronavirus • enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay • serotypes