digilib@itb.ac.id +62 812 2508 8800

Sialoglyco particulates carrying anN-glycolyl-neuraminyl-?-(2?3)-N-acetyllactosamine (Neu5Gc?2,3-LacNAc) residue that displays a high level of affinity for theequine influenza virus (EIV) were generated using sialogly-copolypeptide and hexyl-containing hybrid silica particulates.The particulates were spherical with a diameter ofapproximately 950 nm and found to have good dispersibilityin aqueous solution. Interaction between the sialoglycoparticulates and the EIV was investigated by real-time reversetranscriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) of theEIV genome captured on the particulates. The number ofEIV-specific genes detected by rRT-PCR on a nasal swab obtained from infected horses clearly increased when the sample wastreated with sialoglyco particulates. Our results show these novel sialoglyco particulates can be used as a highly sensitive tool fordetecting low levels of EIV that were previously undetectable in the early or late stage of infection.