Development and evaluation of a VP3-ELISA for the detection of goose and Muscovy duck parvovirus antibodies

The VP3-encoding gene of goose parvovirus (GPV) Ep22 strain was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The GPV VP3-encoding gene was 1605 bp in length, and it encoded a 534 amino acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 59.9 kDa. The VP3 fusion protein expressed in E. coli was detected by goose and Muscovy duck anti-parvovirus polyclonal sera. In addition, an ELISA (VP3-ELISA) using the VP3 protein as the coating antigen for the detection of antibodies to GPV in geese and antibodies to Muscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV) in Muscovy ducks was developed. Compared to the virus neutralization test, the specificity and sensitivity of the VP3-ELISA was 90.2% and 95.2% for goose sera and 91.8% and 96.7% for Muscovy duck sera, respectively. The VP3-ELISA did not react with the anti-sera to other goose or duck pathogens, indicating that this protein is specific for the reorganization of goose or duck anti-parvovirus antibodies. Cross-reactivity between immunoglobulin G antibodies from geese and Muscovy ducks was also tested, and the results reflected the phylogenetic distance between these two birds when using the ELISA. In conclusion, the VP3-ELISA is a sensitive and specific method for detecting antibodies against GPV or MDPV.