Detection of specific antibodies against tembusu virus in ducks by use of an E protein-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using eukaryotically expressed E protein as the antigen (termed E-ELISA) to detect antibodies to tembusu virus (TMUV) in ducks. The E-ELISA did not react with antisera to other known pathogens, indicating the E protein is specific for recognizing anti-TMUV antibodies. Compared to the serum neutralization test, the specificity and sensitivity of the E-ELISA was 93.2 and 97.8%, respectively. Therefore, this E-ELISA is a sensitive and rapid method for detecting antibodies against TMUV in ducks.