Characterization and use of monoclonal antibodies to identify Haemophilus paragallinarum serovars

Two serovar-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to Haemophilus paragallinarum serovars A/1 and C/2 strains, respectively, were developed and characterized by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and dot-blotting tests using representative H. paragallinarum serovars A/1, B, and C/2 strains. In both the HI and dot-blotting tests, one MAb (E5C12D10), raised against strain 221, serovar A/1, reacted only with serovar A/1 strains, while the other MAb (F2E6), raised against strain S1 of serovar C/2, reacted with only serovar C/2 strains examined. In both tests, the two MAbs did not react with two serovar B strains. These results indicated that the two MAbs recognize serovar-specific hemagglutinating (HA) antigens of H. paragallinarum serovars A/1 and C/2 strains, respectively, and that a dot-blotting test using these MAbs is a practical alternative to the HI test for serotyping H. paragallinarum. Strains 0222 and Spross of serovar B, which did not react with these two MAbs, were found to possess serovar-specific HA antigen in cross-HI tests.