Immunohistochemistry in the identification of a number of new diseases in Australia

Immunohistochemistry plays an important part in the diagnosis of some viral diseases. Demonstration of viral antigen in a lesion is an important contr ibution to diagnosis, either at the time of investigation or retrospectivel y. At the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, the most frequent use of immunohistochemistry has been in the diagnosis of the important avian di seases, highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease. The techno logy took key roles in the diagnoses of Hendra virus infections, and, later , an immunoperoxidase test gave the first indication of the existence of Au stralian bat lyssavirus. The test can often confirm that a virus isolated i n an animal is the actual virus causing disease and not a coincidental isol ation. Good examples of that in some more new diseases were the association of Wallal virus with blindness in kangaroos, and of the new porcine Menang le virus in natural and experimental cerebral disease in foetal piglets. (C ) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.