Enzyme immunoassay inhibition assay for the detection of rat rotavirus-like agent in intestinal and fecal specimens obtained from diarrheic rats and humans.

An enzyme immunoassay inhibition assay was developed to detect rat rotavirus-like agent (RVLA) or antigenically related viruses in intestinal washings and homogenates obtained from diarrheic rats and in fecal specimens obtained from diarrheic humans. In this assay, RVLA antigens in a test sample inhibited the binding of a biotin-labeled anti-rat RVLA antibody preparation to rat RVLA antigens bound to the solid phase. Intestinal washings and homogenates obtained 1 day after RVLA infection of suckling rats inhibited the binding of the biotin-labeled antibody to the solid-phase rat RVLA antigens by 76 to 100%. The inhibition was blocked by RVLA immune rat serum but not by nonimmune rat serum. Of 27 fecal specimens obtained from diarrheic humans, 6 produced disease characteristic of rat RVLA infection when inoculated into suckling rats. Four of these six specimens produced greater than 50% inhibition in the enzyme immunoassay. Fecal specimens obtained from diarrheic humans that were determined to be negative for RVLA produced an average inhibition of 9.2%. This enzyme immunoassay appears to be a useful diagnostic and research tool for the study of infections with at least one of the antigenically distinct rotaviruses.