title: A field evaluation of serological and cellular diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis.
abstract: This paper describes the field evaluation of a serological test and a new in vitro assay for cell-mediated reactivity for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis. The use of a Mycobacterium bovis-specific antigen (MPB-70) in an ELISA to test the serological response to tuberculosis infection resulted in a specificity of 96.4% and a sensitivity of 18.1%. The most favourable results were obtained with the interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) assay which had a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 99.1%. Respective figures for the single intradermal tuberculin test were 68.1% and 96.7%. The use of MPB-70 as the antigen in the IFN-gamma assay reduced the sensitivity of this assay, without producing any useful increase in specificity. The IFN-gamma assay was also demonstrated to be a practical diagnostic test for use with large groups of cattle.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO, Division of Animal Health, Parkville, Vic. Australia.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Corner
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rothel
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ripper
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fifis
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Melville
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Small
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Witte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000662:veterinary; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007371:Interferon-gamma