Abstract
F1-antigen purified from Yersinia pestis was covalently linked to 5-mm diameter filter paper discs plasticized with polyvinyl alcohol-glutaraldehyde. These discs were used both for ELISA and dot-ELISA for the detection of anti-F1 IgG in rabbits. The best conditions were achieved using 1.25 microg of F1 antigen/disc, 3% w/v skim milk in PBS as blocking agent, anti-IgG peroxidase conjugate diluted 12,000 times, and serum from rabbits immunized or not against Y. pestis, diluted 6,400 times. The absorbance values obtained from the comparative study between this procedure and conventional ELISA were not significantly different but the low cost of the reagents employed in ELISA using the filter paper discs plasticized with polyvinyl alcohol-glutaraldehyde makes this method economically attractive.
Highlights
Plague, an acute tropical disease caused by Yersinia pestis, is still an important public health issue in developing countries [1]
The presence of significant levels of specific anti-F1A antibodies among rodents and wild or domestic carnivores indicates that all Brazilian plague foci remain active in spite of the absence of human cases [5]
The serologic diagnosis is made by the passive hemagglutination assay (PHA), as recommended by the World Health Organization Committee specialized in plague
Summary
An acute tropical disease caused by Yersinia pestis, is still an important public health issue in developing countries [1]. Human cases of plague, which had virtually disappeared in Madagascar after the 1930’s, reappeared in 1990 with more than 200 confirmed or presumptive cases reported each year since [2]. From 1980 to 1993, 763 cases of plague were recorded in Brazil [3]. This disease is unlikely to disappear due to the wide range of mammalian hosts and their attendant fleas [4]. The Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães/FIOCRUZ is responsible for monitoring the occurrence of new plague cases in Northeastern Brazil. The serologic diagnosis of plague is still an important subject for scientific investigation. Filter paper plasticized with polyvinyl alcohol-glutaraldehyde was investigated as support for the serologic diagnosis of plague
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