Techniques are available for separation of viral structural and nonstructural proteins by physical means; selection of the subviral comments as antigens and, by immunizing animals with them, as source for antibody preparation, reagents may be developed with greatly increased specificity in serological tests. Moreover, separation of IgM from other proteins particularly IgG by centrifugation in gradients, may increase the efficacy and speed of diagnostic based on the earlier appearance of the former in the course of an infection. Partially purified antigens and antibodies, as well as immunoglobulin fractions can be used in conjunction with nearly all the serological techniques described in this chapter.
Other tests may be applicable to rapid seroloqical diagnosis in addition to those described here, such as reduction of foci of infection and immunoadherence; however, no information is available concerning their use as a rapid test with arboviruses and arenaviruses.
In appraising the techniques to use for prompt routine diagnosis of the viruses under consideration, it is important to bear in mind that the methods, in addition to being reproducible, accurate, sensitive, and relatively simple, must also be readily available in laboratories at the local level; these are the laboratories that are faced with critical and urgent diagnostic problems. It is hardly reasonable to advocate techniques that may not be available at these laboratories.