Investigation of specific European Brown Hare Syndrome antibodies in wild hares using blood samples dried on blotting paper

摘要

European Brown Hare Syndrome (EBHS) is a viral pathology described in Sweden in the early 1980s and which has spread to other European countries. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, we have tested blood samples dried on blotters versus sera to evaluate the utility of this sampling procedure for field research about EBHS. The samples were obtained from 20 captive hares and 43 wild hares. We conclude that the advantage of easiness of blotter sampling and transporting counterbalances the slight underestimation of titres and that the method can thus be recommended in field studies.