Description:1. Intended Use The GenWay Measles IgM Antibody ELISA Test Kit has been designed for the the detection and the quantitative determination of specific IgM antibodies against Measles in serum and plasma. Further applications in other body fluids are possible and can be requested from the Technical Service of GenWay. This assay is intended for research use only.  2. General Information Measles is a highly contagious viral disease characterized by a distinct prodrome of fever, coryza, conjunctivitis, cough and a pathognomic exanthem (Koplik`s spots). The disease is the result of infection with the Measles Virus, genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. Ten to twelve days after infection, the most prominent and characteristic prodromal symptoms appear: coryza; a persistant barking cough; keratoconjunctivitis, often with photophobia; and fever. Generally lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly are also frequent. During this period, Koplik`s spots appear on the bucal mucosa that rapidly spread involving the entire mucous membrane. These spots are usually gone by the time the skin rash reaches its peak. The rash of Measles appears after a 3- to 5-days prodrome, some 14 days after exposure. The rash quickly becomes maculopapular and spreads rapidly over the face, neck, trunk and extremities during the next three days. At its height, the eruption has generally deepened to a redish purple and may be associated with edema of the skin. Complications are: otitis media, pneumonia and encephalitis. Measles have a more severe expression in younger or undernourished children with a higher incidence of hemorrhage Measles, with 5% to 10% of lethal cases. In people that have been vaccinated with inactive virus (before 1968), the infection can have severe manifestations as: pneumonia, peripheral edema, pleural effusion and atypical rash. Measles are one of the most contagious infectious diseases. The virus spreads through droplets emanating from the respiratory tract of infected persons or by direct contact. The incidence of Measles has declined since the introduction of vaccination programs.  3. Principle of the Test The GenWay Measles IgM antibody test kit is based on the principle of the enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Measles antigen is bound on the surface of the microtiter strips. Diluted sample serum or ready-to-use standards are pipetted into the wells of the microtiter plate. A binding between the IgM antibodies of the serum and the immobilized Measles antigen takes place. After a one hour incubation at room temperature, the plate is rinsed with diluted wash solution, in order to remove unbound material. Then ready-to-use anti-human-IgM peroxidase conjugate is added and incubated for 30 minutes. After a further washing step, the substrate (TMB) solution is pipetted and incubated for 20 minutes, inducing the development of a blue dye in the wells. The color development is terminated by the addition of a stop solution, which changes the color from blue to yellow. The resulting dye is measured spectrophotometrically at the wavelength of 450 nm. The concentration of the IgM antibodies is directly proportional to the intensity of the color. Additional Information: Name Measles IgM ELISA Related Product Names Measles IgM ELISA Intended Use Research Use Only