Production of a Monoclonal Antibody Reacted Broadly with Feline Calicivirus Field Isolates

A monoclonal antibody (MAb) reactive with 36 field isolates and 2 laboratory strains of feline calicivirus (FCV) was produced by immunizing mice with the mixture of FCVs. The MAb (4D7) reacted with FCVs in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), but had no neutralizing activity against the F4 strain of FCV. MAb 8G1, previously produced against the FCV F4 strain, also reacted in ELISA with all FCVs used in the present study. However, the epitopes recognized by 4D7 and 8G1 were different. Using these two MAbs and a polyclonal rabbit antibody, we attempted to develop a sandwich ELISA for detection of FCV antigen. The combination of 4D7 and the polyclonal rabbit IgG was most sensitive. Using this system, all the field isolates of FCV cultured in vitro were detected. However, among the 36 swab samples, from which FCV was isolated, 4 were negative.