Haemagglutination as a confirmatory test for Peste des petits ruminants diagnosis

Seven Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) viruses and a RPV (vaccine strain) and their respective antiserum raised in rabbits were used for reciprocal cross neutralization test and haemagglutination (HA) and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test employing 0.5% chicken RBC. Although many differential diagnostic methods for PPR and RP (rinderpest) are available viz., immunocapture ELISA, 'N' gene radioactive cDNA probes, non radioactively labelled biotinylated cDNA probes, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for 'F' gene along with reciprocal cross neutralization test, HA and HI tests could be used as a reliable alternative in field conditions particularly in places where RP and PPR are co-existing. The advantages of the tests have been discussed in comparison with reciprocal cross neutralization tests.