Ehrlichia canis DIVA (differentiate infected from vaccinated animals)
AssigneeIDEXX Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsEugene Regis Krah, III, Melissa Beall
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Abstract
Ehrlichia canis antigens that can be used to differentiate E. canis infected animals from animals that have been challenged with E. canis, e.g., vaccinated against E. canis, are disclosed. The invention also provides compositions and methods for determining the presence of E. canis antigens and antibodies.
Claims5
A method of distinguishing between animals that (1) have been infected with Ehrlichia canis and animals that (2) have not been infected with E. canis regardless of whether the animal has been vaccinated for E. canis with inactivated E. canis cells, the method comprising:
- contacting a biological sample from an animal with one or more purified E. canis polypeptides wherein the one or more purified E. canis polypeptides comprise SEQ ID NO:10;
- and
- (b) detecting whether antibodies in the sample specifically bind to the one or more purified E. canis polypeptides;
- wherein if antibodies in the sample specifically bind to the one or more purified E. canis polypeptides, then the animal has been infected with E. canis.
A method for determining the presence or absence of an antibody or fragment thereof, wherein the fragment is an antigen binding site or variable region of the antibody, in a test sample, wherein the antibody or fragment thereof specifically binds to purified polypeptide consisting of SEQ ID NO:10, comprising:
- contacting the test sample with one or more purified polypeptides comprising SEQ ID NO:10 under conditions suitable for specific binding of the one or more purified polypeptides to the antibody or fragment thereof;
- and
- detecting the presence or absence of specific binding of the one or more purified polypeptides and antibody or fragment thereof;
- wherein the presence of specific binding indicates the presence of the antibody or fragment thereof, and wherein the absence of specific binding indicates the absence the antibody or fragment thereof.
A method of distinguishing between an animal that has been infected with E. canis from an animal that has not been infected with E. canis, the method comprising:
- (a) contacting a biological sample from an animal with a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:10;
- and
- (b) detecting whether antibodies in the sample specifically bind to the polypeptide;
- wherein if antibodies in the sample specifically bind to the polypeptide, then the animal has been infected with E. canis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.