Work

A Standardised Method to Quantify the Infectious Titre of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Quantifying the infectious titre of preparations containing rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is an essential virological technique during RHDV research. The infectious titre of an RHDV preparation is determined using a bioassay to identify the endpoint dilution at which 50% of rabbits become infected (RID50). Previous publications have briefly described the method for estimating the infectious titre of RHDV preparations by challenging rabbits with 10-fold serial dilutions. However, these descriptions lack the critical considerations for a standardised method to estimate RID50. These details are presented here, along with a comparison between the Reed–Muench, Dragstedt–Behrens, Spearman–Kärber, and probit regression methods for calculating the RID50. All the statistical approaches demonstrated a high level of agreement in calculating the RID50. To help assess the precision of the estimated infectious titre, the improved Spearman–Kärber and probit regression methods provide the 95% confidence intervals. The method outlined improves the accuracy of results when undertaking studies of pathogenicity, host resistance, and the production of vaccines against RHDV.

Source: Viruses

DOI: 10.3390/v17050609

Authors: Tiffany W. O’Connor, Damian Collins, Andrew J. Read, Paul M. Hick, Peter D. Kirkland

Institution: NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Language: English

Topic: Animal Virus Infections Studies

Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137