COMPARATIVE-ASSESSMENT OF TEST SYSTEMS FO R DETECTING VENEZUELAN EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS AND VARIOLOVACCINIA VIRUSES BY DOT ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY AND SOLID-PHASE LANTHANIDE IMMUNOFLUORESCENT ANALYSIS

The sensitivity and specificity of 4 experimental test systems for dot enzyme immunoassay (dot-EIA) and solid-phase lanthanide immunofluores cent analysis (SP LIFA) were studied with Venezuelan equine encephalom yelitis (VEE) and variolovaccinia viruses. Test systems for SP LIFA pr oved to be 25 times more sensitive than those for dot-EIA. The test sy stems were highly specific and did not react with the heterologous vir uses and proteins. Diagnostic agent for detecting VEE virus in dot-EIA was false-positive with Sindbis virus in low dilutions. The first tri als of the Russian test systems for dot-EIA and SP LIFA showed that th ese systems rapidly and reliably detect VEE and variolovaccinia viruse s in liquid samples.