Evaluation of four serological tests for the diagnosis of caprine melioidosis.
A complement fixation (CF) test, 2 indirect haemagglutination (IHA-A; IHA-L) tests which differed in antigen preparation and technique, and a microtitre agglutination (MA) test were compared in the serodiagnosis of melioidosis in goats. One hundred and eighteen experimental serums and 3143 field serums from goats in endemic and non-endemic areas of north Queensland were used in the evaluation. Culture of samples for Pseudomonas pseudomallei from 112 goats provided substantiating evidence of infection. The IHA-A test was the most sensitive, and the CF test the most specific. We advocate the use of the IHA-A as a screening test followed by the CF test for confirmation of active melioidosis. The IHA-A test is the better indicator of past infection.
Thomas
A D
AD
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Oonoonba Laboratory, Townsville.
Spinks
G A
GA
D'Arcy
T L
TL
Norton
J H
JH
Trueman
K F
KF
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001315:Australia; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006041:Goats; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests / Q000379:methods*; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial