Standardized focus assay protocol for biosafety level four viruses

Abstract

Working in accordance with biosafety level four practices is highly complex and time-consuming. Therefore, the respective laboratory protocols should be as uniform as possible, simple to perform and straightforward in readout. Here we describe the successful application of a standardized 24-well plate focus assay protocol for the titration of Zaire ebolavirus (two isolates), Marburg virus (three isolates), Lassa virus (two isolates), Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (one isolate), and tick-borne encephalitis virus (two isolates). Viral titers are determined based on a simple visual readout. The protocol exhibits high precision, with coefficients of variation for interassay variability ranging between 0.05 and 0.21 and those for intraassay variability between 0.08 and 0.23. All reagents required for the test, including primary and secondary antibodies, are commercially available, facilitating the establishment of the protocol in other laboratories.

Keywords: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus; Ebolavirus; Focus assay; Lassa virus; Marburg virus; Tick-borne encephalitis virus.