In vitro detection and quantification of botulinum neurotoxin type E activity in avian blood

Applied and Environmental Microbiology
By: , and 

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Abstract

Botulinum neurotoxin serotype E (BoNT/E) outbreaks in the Great Lakes region cause large annual avian mortality events, with an estimated 17,000 bird deaths reported in 2007 alone. During an outbreak investigation, blood collected from bird carcasses is tested for the presence of BoNT/E using the mouse lethality assay. While sensitive, this method is labor-intensive and low throughput and can take up to 7 days to complete. We developed a rapid and sensitive in vitro assay, the BoTest Matrix E assay, that combines immunoprecipitation with high-affinity endopeptidase activity detection by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to rapidly quantify BoNT/E activity in avian blood with detection limits comparable to those of the mouse lethality assay. On the basis of the analysis of archived blood samples (n = 87) collected from bird carcasses during avian mortality investigations, BoTest Matrix E detected picomolar quantities of BoNT/E following a 2-h incubation and femtomolar quantities of BoNT/E following extended incubation (24 h) with 100% diagnostic specificity and 91% diagnostic sensitivity.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title In vitro detection and quantification of botulinum neurotoxin type E activity in avian blood
Series title Applied and Environmental Microbiology
DOI 10.1128/AEM.06165-11
Volume 77
Issue 21
Year Published 2011
Language English
Publisher American Society for Microbiology
Contributing office(s) National Wildlife Health Center
Description 8 p.
First page 7815
Last page 7822
Country Canada, United States
State Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Wisconsin
Other Geospatial Great Lakes
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