Use of immunofluorescence to detect the fungus Hormoconis resinae in aviation kerosine

A specific antiserum against Hormoconis resinae was produced in rabbits and used in the development of an immunofluorescent technique for the rapid detection of this fungus in aviation kerosine. The antiserum was assayed by tube agglutination, microagglutination and ELISA and shown to contain a high titre of antibodies to H. resinae (1:512 by agglutination and microagglutination; 1:12.800 by ELISA). Antiserum diluted 1:16 showed little cross-reaction with Aspergillus flavus, the major cross-reacting fungus isolated from fuel. The indirect immunofluorescence test developed had high specificity for H. resinae, was capable of detecting 10 propagules/ml of this fungus in kerosine and could be performed in a total of 5 h, as compared with the current standard methods for detection, which require an incubation of up to 7–10 days.