A rapid immunoassay method and apparatus for detecting foot and mouth disease virus are disclosed. The method and test device permit pen-side testing of animals and provide test results within a relatively short time period. In a preferred embodiment, the method and apparatus provide a means for differentiating between FMDV-infected and FMDV-vaccinated animals.

This disclosure pertains to isolated antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof that specifically bind to the 3ABC non-structural protein of Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus (FMDV), wherein the antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof recognize the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6 or SEQ ID NO: 12. Accordingly, this disclosure also pertains to polypeptides having an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5 or SEQ ID NO: 12. Monoclonal antibody Mab 40C8 is also provided. The current disclosure also pertains to methods of detecting FMDV infection in an animal (including assays differentiating infected animals from vaccinated animals (DIVA)) and kits for performing the detection methods. Competitive ELISA kits comprising the antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof and immunoassay plates coated with the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6 and/or SEQ ID NO: 12 are also provided.

The purpose of the present invention is to: provide an agent that effectively suppresses inhibition of antigen-antibody reaction in an immunoassay using a sample containing a body fluid, in particular, a component derived from a biological mucosal membrane, such as saliva; and to suppress false positive and false negative results in the immunoassay. The present invention provides an agent for suppressing inhibition of immune reaction, characterized in that the agent comprises a compound of the following (1) or (2): (1) Sulfonic acid compound of the formula R.sup.1—SO.sub.3H or a salt thereof. (In the formula, R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of: a straight-chain C.sub.5-C.sub.30 alkyl group; a straight-chain C.sub.1-C.sub.30 alkyl group substituted with an aryl group having at least one straight-chain C.sub.5-C.sub.30 alkyl group; and an aryl group having at least one straight-chain C.sub.5-C.sub.30 alkyl group. These groups may include a substituent group); and (2) Quaternary ammonium ion of the formula N.sup.+—R.sup.2R.sup.3R.sup.4R.sup.5 or a salt thereof. (In the formula, R.sup.2—R.sup.5 are each independently a straight-chain C.sub.1-C.sub.30 alkyl group, or an aryl group substituted with at least one straight-chain C.sub.5-C.sub.30 alkyl group. These groups may include a substituent group); wherein the agent is capable of suppressing immune reaction inhibitory action caused by a body fluid in an immunoassay sample.

Provided herein is a nucleic acid comprising consensus amino acid sequence of foot-and-mouth disease FMDV VP1-4 coat proteins of FMDV subtypes A, Asia 1, C, O, SAT1, SAT2, and SAT3 as well as plasmids and vaccines expressing the sequences. Also provided herein is methods for generating an immune response against one or more FMDV subtypes using the vaccine as described above as well as methods for deciphering between vaccinated mammals with the vaccine and those that are infected with FMDV.

Provided herein is a nucleic acid comprising consensus amino acid sequence of foot-and-mouth disease FMDV VP1-4 coat proteins of FMDV subtypes A, Asia 1, C, O, SAT1, SAT2, and SAT3 as well as plasmids and vaccines expressing the sequences. Also provided herein is methods for generating an immune response against one or more FMDV subtypes using the vaccine as described above as well as methods for deciphering between vaccinated mammals with the vaccine and those that are infected with FMDV.

A test strip for detecting a serotype O foot-and-mouth disease, the test strip including: a bottom board; a detection layer being disposed on the bottom board and including a detection line and a control line; an absorbent layer being disposed at one end of the detection layer close to the control line; a gold colloidal conjugate pad being disposed at the other side of the detection layer close to the detection line; and a sample pad is disposed on a top of the gold colloidal conjugate pad. The gold colloidal conjugate pad is coated with colloidal gold particles that are conjugated with a Staphylococcus protein A (SPA) marker. The detection line is coated or impregnated with serotype O FMDV-like particles, and the control line is coated or impregnated with rabbit IgG.

This application is directed generally to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) 3C proteases that have been modified by mutating a polynucleotide sequence coding for the FMDV 3C protease. The modified FMDV proteases exhibit proteolytic activity on FMDV P1 precursor protein and exhibit a reduction in one or more toxic or inhibitory properties associated with an unmodified FMDV 3C protease on a host cell used to recombinantly produce it. Vectors carrying polynucleotides encoding modified FMDV 3C protease sequences can induce production of FMDV virus-like particles in a host cell when expressed in the host cell. The modified FMDV 3C proteases can generally be used to produce immunogenic FMDV preparations capable of inducing an immune response against FMDV.

This application is directed generally to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) 3C proteases that have been modified by mutating a polynucleotide sequence coding for the FMDV 3C protease. The modified FMDV proteases exhibit proteolytic activity on FMDV P1 precursor protein and exhibit a reduction in one or more toxic or inhibitory properties associated with an unmodified FMDV 3C protease on a host cell used to recombinantly produce it. Vectors carrying polynucleotides encoding modified FMDV 3C protease sequences can induce production of FMDV virus-like particles in a host cell when expressed in the host cell. The modified FMDV 3C proteases can generally be used to produce immunogenic FMDV preparations capable of inducing an immune response against FMDV.

This application is directed generally to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) 3C proteases that have been modified by mutating a polynucleotide sequence coding for the FMDV 3C protease. The modified FMDV proteases exhibit proteolytic activity on FMDV P1 precursor protein and exhibit a reduction in one or more toxic or inhibitory properties associated with an unmodified FMDV 3C protease on a host cell used to recombinantly produce it. Vectors carrying polynucleotides encoding modified FMDV 3C protease sequences can induce production of FMDV virus-like particles in a host cell when expressed in the host cell. The modified FMDV 3C proteases can generally be used to produce immunogenic FMDV preparations capable of inducing an immune response against FMDV.

A method for preparing serotype O foot-and-mouth disease virus-like particles, the method including: construction of small ubiquitin-like modifier fusion expression vector, construction of recombinant expression vectors, construction of recombinant co-expression vector, expression and purification of proteins, and in-vitro assembly of serotype O foot-and-mouth disease virus-like particles. The disclosure also provides a test strip for detecting serotype O foot-and-mouth disease including a bottom board, and a detection layer disposed on the top of the bottom board. A detection line and a control line are disposed on the detection layer. An absorbent layer is disposed at one end of the detection layer close to the control line, and an immuno-gold pad is disposed at the other side of the detection layer close to the detection line. A sample pad is disposed on the top of the immuno-gold pad.