Zur Serodiagnostik der Porzine Respiratorischen Coronavirus-Infektion

Sera from finishing pigs with clinical signs of respiratory disease were examined for the prevalence of cross-reacting antibodies to porcine respiratory corona (PRC) and transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) viruses by a neutralization test and by a commercial competitive inhibition ELISA. 84.5% of the sera exhibited neutralizing activity, 82.9% were positive in the ELISA and 92.5% of sera were positive in both tests. The specificity of the ELISA in comparison with the neutralizing test was 98.2% and its sensitivity 96.0%. Antibody prevalence was related to PRC virus in 87% and to TGE virus in 13% of the reacting sera. However, ELISA classification was doubtful in some sera. The results demonstrate a relatively high prevalence of antibodies to PRC virus in fattening pigs in Germany