Comparison of Different Serological Tests in Detection of Antibodies to Marek’s Disease Virus

Abstract

Marek’s disease (MD) is a highly contagious oncogenic and neuropathic disease of chickens responsible for great economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. An investigation was done to assess the status of MD in Kerala by serological tests viz., agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test, enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test. Among the three tests employed for detection of antibodies to MD virus (MDV), out of 1030 sera screened, 157 samples (15.2 per cent) were positive by ELISA, whereas 62 samples were positive by AGID, which represents 6 per cent. The IFA tests detected 95 positive samples from 1030 samples (9.2 per cent).  The results were analysed statistically using Cochran’s Q and Fischer’s exact test and it was found that ELISA was more sensitive than the other two tests compared.