An article published in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation (JVDI) presents a competitive Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (cELISA) and a virus neutralization test (VNT), both validated for the screening of Senecavirus A in a research setting, by the National Centre for Foreign Animal disease (NCFAD). The diagnostic specificity and sensitivity were 98.2% and 96.9% for the cELISA, and 99.6% (99.0–99.9%) and 98.2% (95.8–99.4%) for the VNT, respectively.
In Canada and the USA alike, Senecavirus A is a challenge for producers and veterinarians because of its clinical similarity to Food and Mouth Disease (FMD). Indeed, Senecavirus A, is a causative agent of swine vesicular disease with lesions developing on the snout, around the mouth and on the coronary band of the feet. Therefore, being able to differentiate Senecavirus A infections from FMD rapidly is of utmost importance to be able to take the appropriate measures.
The University of Minnesota, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has developed an ImmunoFluorescence Assay (IFA) to detect antibodies against Senecavirus A. This test was used as a reference for the validation of the cELISA and VNT established by Drs. Goolia, Yang, Babiuk, and Nfon from NCFAD in collaboration with Drs. Vannucci and Patnayak from the UMN-VDL.
Abstract: Senecavirus A (SVA; family Picornaviridae) is a nonenveloped, single-stranded RNA virus associated with idiopathic vesicular disease (IVD) in swine. SVA was detected in pigs with IVD in Brazil, United States, Canada, and China in 2015, triggering the need to develop and/or validate serologic assays for SVA. Our objective was to fully validate a previously developed competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) as a screening test for antibodies to SVA. Additional objectives included the development and validation of a virus neutralization test (VNT) as a confirmatory test for SVA antibody detection, and the comparison of the cELISA, VNT, and an existing immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for the detection of SVA antibodies in serial bleeds from SVA outbreaks. The diagnostic specificity and sensitivity were 98.2% (97.2–98.9%) and 96.9% (94.5–98.4%) for the cELISA, and 99.6% (99.0–99.9%) and 98.2% (95.8–99.4%) for the VNT, respectively. There was strong agreement among cELISA, VNT, and IFAT when compared based on kappa coefficient. Based on these performance characteristics, these tests are considered suitable for serologic detection of SVA in pigs.