Development of an indirect ELISA assay for detecting antibodies against mammalian reovirus in pigs

Mammalian reovirus (MRV) infects many species. Over the past decades, MRV infections in pigs have been reported, and several highly pathogenic MRV strains have recently been isolated in the United States. In this study, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against the sigma 1 protein from a serotype 3 reovirus strain (MPC/04) was established to detect antibodies in pigs. The assay did not react with antisera against other pig pathogens and was consistent with the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and virus neutralization test (VNT). In conclusion, the assay is specific and highly sensitive, providing a method for large-scale monitoring of the serotype 3 MRV infection epidemiology in pigs.