Microculture Neutralization Test for Serodiagnosis of Three Avian Viral Infections

Quantitative serologic assays are extremely important in diagnosis and control of many avian viral diseases. In recent years microculture methods for serologic analysis have come into frequent use. Microculture systems are generally less expensive and less time-consuming and require less of the specific serum and/or virus samples to be measured. The problem of most cell-culture techniques in use today is that they require a constant source of primary cells, such as specific-pathogen-free embryos or chicks. These sources are not only very expensive but require additional holding facilities. This paper describes a microsystem that uses a commercially available cell line for detecting avian viral antibodies, does not require a constant source of primary cells, and is therefore cheaper and less time-consuming than conventional microculture systems.