Cell cultures for diagnosis of arbovirus infections in livestock and wildlife

Summary Arboviruses can be isolated in serially propagated cells derived from various vertebrates and invertebrates. Cell cultures can be used for direct detection of antigen by fluorescent antibody and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, for nucleic acid hybridization, and for visualization of viruses with electron microscopy. Reagents for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for IgM and IgG antibodies, hemagglutination-inhibition, complement fixation, and serum dilution-plaque reduction neutralization tests can be prepared in cell cultures infected with these viruses. Thus, cell cultures can be used as laboratory hosts for essentially all isolation, identification, and serodiagnostic procedures for arboviruses. This paper outlines current methods for diagnosis of arbovirus infections in livestock and wildlife, describes certain of these techniques, and provides references for others.