Comparative evaluation of a simple and sensitive assay for detection of orthomyxo and paramyxovirusesCouceiroJ. N. S. S.CouceiroE. S. S.PintoA. M. V.MachadoR. D.CabralM. C. Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Rio de Janeiro Brasil Universidade Federal Fluminense Niterói Brasil CCS, Instituto de Microbiologia, Departamento de Virologia Rio de Janeiro Brasil 061994892183187Studies were done to evaluate comparatively the traditional HA assay and a more recently introduced lectin-neuraminidase (LN) methodologyin search of a simple and sensitive assay for virus detection during laboratorial diagnosis. The results proved the value of LN assay as a sensitive methodologyfor detection of virus particles, presenting results at least equal to those obtained by HA (hemagglutination) assay, with significant values of accumulated frequencies for LN/HA factors (ratios between LN and HA titers) higher than two. The accumulated values of frequencies for LN/HA factors as high as four were very significant, 72.7 (per cent) for influenzavirus and 60.7 (per cent) for Newcastle disease virus (NDV), moreover accumulated frequencies for LN/HA factors even as high as 32 were due to influenzavirus (45.4 per cent) and NDV (7.2 per cent) samples. After the storage period, most of those concentraded samples that even did not present HA titers could be detected through LN assay, demonstrating a lower threshold for virus detection.hemagglutination assaylection neuraminidase assayinfluenza virusesparainfluenza virusesFull text available only in PDF format.Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.