title: Assessment of a fluorescent antibody test for the detection of antibodies against epizootic bovine abortion.
abstract: The current study was directed at developing and validating an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) capable of detecting antibodies specific for the agent of epizootic bovine abortion (aoEBA). Sensitivity and specificity was determined by comparing antibody titers from 114 fetuses infected with aoEBA with 68 fetuses diagnosed with alternate infectious etiologies. Data established specificity at 100% and sensitivity at 94.7% when cutoff criteria for a positive test were assigned at a titer of ≥1,000. Potential cross-reactivity was noted in samples from 3 fetuses with antibody titers of 10 or100; all were infected with Gram-positive organisms. The remaining 65 fetuses infected with microbes other than aoEBA, and an additional 12 negative reference sera, did not have detectable titers. The IFAT-based serology assay is rapid, reproducible, and unaffected by fluid color or opacity. Total fetal immunoglobulin (Ig)G was also evaluated as an aid for diagnosing EBA. Significantly higher concentrations of IgG were identified in fetuses infected with aoEBA as compared to those with alternate infectious etiologies. The presence of IgG is a sensitive indicator of EBA and increases the specificity of FAT-based serologic diagnosis when titers are 10 or 100. Taken together, serology and IgG analyses suggest that the incidence of EBA may be underestimated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas) mtblanchard@ucdavis.edu.
authors.forename: Myra T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas).
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas).
authors.forename: Bruce R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hoar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas).
authors.forename: Alda F A
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas).
authors.forename: Patricia C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas).
authors.forename: Bret V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Yeargan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas).
authors.forename: Mike B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Teglas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas).
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belshaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine (MT Blanchard, Yeargan, Belshaw, Stott) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (Anderson, PC Blanchard) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACenter for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (Pires) University of California-Davis, Davis, CACollege of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (Hoar)Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Teglas).
authors.forename: Jeffery L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Stott
mesh_terms: D037881:Aborted Fetus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000175:diagnosis; D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D020564:Deltaproteobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Epizootic bovine abortion; fluorescent antibody test; foothill abortion; immunoglobulin G; serology