A double antibody sandwich-ELISA has been developed for the detection of antigenic differences between wild and vaccine derived strains of Poliovirus type 1. Poliovirus strains antibodies were prepared in rabbits by immunization with virus suspensions of: Sabin LSc2ab (vaccine derived) and Brunhilde and Mahoney (wild types). IgG fractions were purified from antiserum by precipitation with ammonium sulphate and DEAE-Sephadex A50 chromatography. Purified IgG antibodies were used for coating of microtest plates (catching antibodies). The same reagents labeled with horseradish peroxidase were used as conjugates (detecting antibodies). Detecting antibodies were made strain specific by cross-absorption with the heterologous virus strain. Absorbed and non-absorbed detecting antibodies were subsequently used for detection and quantitation of the poliovirus antigen(s) bound to IgG-coated surfaces. Poliovirus laboratory strains and isolates from sixty-six individuals were differentiated intratypically as vaccine derived or wild types when the ELISA was performed using absorbed conjugates. No intermediate strains were found, and all clinical samples tested fell in two distinct categories. Conversely, when detecting antibodies were used before absorption a high degree of homology between wild and vaccine strains was demonstrated and the differentiation between the two groups was poorly achieved. The ELISA has been optimized in terms of specificity and sensitivity. Less than 10 ng of poliovirus antigens could be detected by non-absorbed detecting antibodies whereas 18 ng was the minimal amount detected by the same antibodies after absorption. Preparation of strain specific antibodies did not require a previous concentration of the poliovirus suspension used for the absorption. It is proposed that the developed ELISA is capable of: 1) detection of low amounts of poliovirus antigens in clinical samples, and 2) intratypic differentiation of poliovirus antigens as either vaccine derived or wild types.