Comparison between Commercial ELISA kit and Virus Neutralization Test for Detection of Antibodies against Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) in Buffalo

    This study was carried on 224 slaughtered buffaloes at Ahvaz abattoir to compare a commercial ELISA kit (IDDEX) and virus neutralization (VN) test for detection of antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in buffalo. Blood samples were taken after slaughter and sex and age parameters were documented.  Sera were tested by ELISA and virus neutralization (VN) test for detection of antibodies. The result of ELISA showed none of these buffaloes had antibodies to BVDV, but 48 (21.43%) of buffaloes had antibodies to BVDV by VN test. The prevalence of infection in females and males were 28.2% and 15.7%, respectively and statistical analysis showed that there was significant difference between them (P=0.024). Although the seroprevalence of BVDV in these buffaloes is noticeable, but the commercial ELISA kit is not suitable for detection of antibodies to BVDV in this animal. It is recommended to develop a competitive ELISA for detection of antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in buffalo.