INDIRECT DOUBLE ANTIBODY SANDWICH ELISA FOR DETECTING ALFALFA MOSAIC-VIRUS IN APHIDS AFTER SHORT PROBES ON INFECTED PLANTS

An indirect double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IDAS-ELISA) system using antibodies elicited in rabbits and chickens is described for the detection of alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV). The method is capable of detecting 40 pg of homologous purified AMV and was shown to be suitable for detecting the virus in aphids. AMV in the order of 150 pg was detected in single aphids. It was shown that a significant proportion of insects could acquire this or higher amounts of virus during 1 min probes on the leaves of infected plants. The IDAS-ELISA should find applicability in research on the acquisition of viruses by aphids and in epidemiological studies for detecting viruses in insects from traps.