APPLICATION OF SUBTYPE-SPECIFIC MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES FOR RAPID DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF INFLUENZA-A AND INFLUENZA-B VIRUSES

We established a rapid method for the identification of influenza A an d B virus strains: the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) staining method with two subtype specific murine monoclonal antibodies, C179 (H1 and H2 specific) and F49 (H3 specific), and an anti-influenza B virus rabb it polyclonal serum, The types and subtypes of 160 strains were examin ed, and 158 strains were identified to be the same by the hemagglutina tion-inhibition (HI) test and the PAP method. In contrast to the resul ts by the HI test, two strains were revealed to be a mixture of two su btypes (H1 and H3) by the PAP method, which was confirmed by plaque cl oning. We further analyzed clinical specimens by the PAP method by dir ectly inoculating specimens into Madin-Darby canine kidney cells in mi croplates. After 40 h of incubation, the types and subtypes of viruses in 52 of 152 specimens were clearly identified, Since the reactivitie s of the two monoclonal antibodies are not influenced by the antigenic drift of influenza virus, the newly developed method should be applic able not only for rapid diagnosis but also for the epidemiological stu dy of influenza.