Development and validation of a solid-phase competition ELISA based on virus-like particles of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype A for antibody detection

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), caused by FMD virus (FMDV), is a highly contagious epidemic disease, which is controlled primarily by prophylactic vaccination and serological monitoring after vaccination. Here, we have developed a solid-phase competition ELISA (SPCE) method based on virus-like particles (VLPs) of FMDV serotype A. The use of VLPs in the SPCE assay as a replacement for inactivated FMDV provides a high level of biosafety. The SPCE showed high concordance rates when compared with the virus neutralization test and liquid-phase blocking ELISA for testing clinical serum samples and successive serological monitoring (kappa = 0.925). Thus, this SPCE is an alternative method for post-immunization detection of antibodies against FMDV serotype A, with high specificity and sensitivity.