DEVELOPMENT OF A COLONY-BLOT ELISA ASSAY USING MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TO IDENTIFY VIBRIO P1 RESPONSIBLE FOR BROWN RING DISEASE - IN THE CLAMTAPES-PHILIPPINARUM

Since 1987, brown ring disease has caused mass mortalities on various cultured clam-beds. The causal agent is a Vibrio sp. called Vibrio P1. The problem is to perform a suitable, reliable, rapid and sensitive t echnique to detect this bacterium in the environment. Therefore, monoc lonal antibodies (mAb) were prepared according to hybridoma technology . One mAb was selected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) be cause of its capacity to react specifically with V. P1. Nitro-cellulos e membrane immunoassay (colony-blot ELISA) was developed to detect dir ectly V P1 in samples, Results of identification of 223 bacteria by th e biochemical method and by the colony-blot ELISA method were compared . The specificity and the sensitivity were 100% in both cases. Our res ults indicate that the colony-blot ELISA is sensitive, easy to perform and is especially suited for routine diagnostic work.