Antigens and antibodies of malignant catarrhal fever herpesvirus detected by immunodiffusion and counter-immunoelectrophoresis

Using hyperimmune rabbit and cattle sera, immunodiffusion (ID) and counter-immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) tests detected three or four and two or three malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) virus antigens, respectively, in infected cells. The ID test detected precipitating antibodies to MCF virus in $\text{3}\text{9}$ experimentally infected rabbits, $\text{0}\text{14}$ experimentally infected cattle, $\text{1}\text{13}$ naturally infected cattle, $\text{62}\text{176}$ wildebeest and $\text{3}\text{20}$ hartebeest. The CIEP test detected specific antibodies in $\text{3}\text{9}$ rabbit sera, but non-specific reactions prevented its use with bovine sera.The CIEP test was 2 to 4 times more sensitive than ID for detecting antibodies to MCF virus, but both tests were less sensitive than indirect immunofluorescence.The ID test demonstrated an antigenic relationship between wildebeest and hartebeest strains of MCF virus. Neither ID nor CIEP detected MCFV antigens in tissues infected with MCF virus.