ELISA for diagnosing disease
ELISA (Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) is a specific kit which can be used to diagnose low levels of disease at laboratory level. This technology is the most widely used diagnostic system in veterinary (and medical) science and is well known for its use in the campaign to eradicate rinderpest in Africa.
The technique, which is analogous to radio-immunoassay (RIA), is highly suitable for processing large numbers of samples because it is quick and relatively low cost. ELISA tests are used to diagnose a wide variety of diseases by identifying the disease agent itself and/or the antibodies produced against the agent. The reagents in ELISA are used in very small quantities so mass-producing the test for use in travel kits is inexpensive. The ELISA technology has the additional benefit of being adaptable for diagnosis for almost every animal disease.
ELISA has already demonstrated its multiple advantages in the rinderpest campaigns in Africa and West Asia where the test, refined by scientists at the Joint FAO/IAEA Division, has been used to measure the response to rinderpest vaccination, verify immunity levels, detect any remaining foci of virus activity after vaccination, and ultimately to confirm whether rinderpest has been eradicated. The successful approach of PARC (Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign) is now being used as a model for control of other diseases, such as Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), currently the most serious transmissible disease in Africa. An anti-CBPP campaign is being developed with funding from the EU and the World Bank and IAEA is co-ordinating a programme for monitoring CBPP with ELISA technology in 12 African countries.
In other regions of the world, ELISA tests are used for diagnosis and surveillance of many livestock diseases including foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis and tick-borne diseases.
