Characterisation of monoclonal antibodies to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus of deer (EHDV) and bluetongue virus by immunisation of mice with EHDV recombinant VP7 antigen

Immunisation of mice with recombinant VP7 antigen of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus of deer (EHDV) induced serum antibody responses to EHDV. However, from the 19 monoclonal antibodies (Mab) produced from these mice, 15 were specific for EHDV and four for bluetongue virus (BTV). No Mabs were identified with the specificity for an epitope of VP7 shared by both EHDV and BTV in spite of the fact that they share a large portion of homology in VP7 amino acids composition. These Mabs were divided into five groups based on their specificity and interaction with each other. Group II Mabs, consisting of 13 Mabs, recognises a potential serogroup specific, linear epitope of EHDV VP7 antigen. One of the Mabs to BTV (Group V) was identified as BTV VP7 specific with the possibility of being the serogroup specific and recognizes a potential conformational epitope. Two Mabs from these VP7 specific groups were further analysed and found to be useful in a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C - ELISA) for detection of specific antibodies against EHDV and BTV in bovine sera.