Experimental infection of chickens and turkeys with Mycoplasma gallisepticum reference strain S6 and North Carolina field isolate RAPD type B

During an epidemic of mycoplasmosis in chicken and turkey flocks in North Carolina between 1999 and 2001, isolates of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) from affected flocks were characterized by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and eight distinct RAPD types were identified. MG RAPD type B accounted for more than 90% of the isolates and was associated with moderate-to-severe clinical signs and mortality. The virulence of MG RAPD type B for chickens and turkeys was compared with sham-inoculated negative controls and MG S6 (a virulent strain)-inoculated positive controls. Clinical signs occurred in chickens and turkeys inoculated with either MG RAPD type B or MG S6. However, they were not as frequent or severe as those seen in naturally affected flocks, and there was no mortality in the experimental groups. Based on gross and microscopic findings, MG RAPD type B was equal to or more virulent than MG S6. All MG-inoculated birds were culture and PCR positive at 7 and 14 days postinoculation (PI). Among serological tests, the serum plate agglutination test was positive for the majority of chickens and turkeys (58%-100%) infected with either strain of MG at both 7 and 14 days PI. The hemagglutination inhibition test was negative for all birds at 7 days PI and positive for a few chickens (8%-17%) and several turkey sera (40%-60%) at 14 days PI. Only a single serum was positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (an MG S6-infected turkey) at 14 days PI.     

Detection of serum antibodies against Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae by a dot-immunobinding technique

Both Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and M. synoviae (MS) antigens prepared for the routine haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test were diluted and absorbed to the separate pieces of durapore membrane for the measurement of dot-immunobinding (DIB) titers of test sera. Besides, durapore strips bearing both antigens were employed for a DIB test with chicken sera definitely diluted 100-fold. Shortening of reaction time of chicken sera with antigens as well as with the secondary serum markedly eliminated non-specific DIB reactions exhibited at low dilutions although the same condition was not so effective on the elimination of non-specific reactions among rabbit hyperimmune sera. Rapid and specific development of DIB antibody which continued at high titer up to 1:640 for 10 weeks postinoculation was proved in the sera of SPF chickens inoculated with MG or MS, while DIB titers of sera from uninoculated chickens remained 1:20 or lower. Non-specific reactions, which occurred in the routine serum plate agglutination test with a part of sera from the inoculated chickens, were not exhibited in the DIB as well as in the HI test with the same sera. Results of the DIB test with serum samples from 287 conventionally reared chickens definitely diluted 100-fold coincided with the results of HI test at a level of 90% with MG and 89% with MS antigen. This technique seems to be useful for a rapid, simple and specific diagnosis of avian mycoplasmosis.     

Comparison of Latex Agglutination, Indirect Hemagglutination, and ELISA Techniques for the Detection of Toxoplasma gondii-specific Antibodies in the Serum of Cats

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether commercially available latex agglutination and indirect hemagglutination kits for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies were capable of detecting T. gondii-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) in the serum of cats. Serum samples from 35 cats containing either T. gondii-specific IgM, T. gondii-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), or both were collected. Each serum sample was assayed using a latex agglutination kit, an indirect hemagglutination kit, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of T. gondii-specific IgG, and an ELISA for the detection of T. gondii-specific IgM. When serum samples containing only T. gondii-specific IgM as determined by ELISA were assayed, the latex agglutination kit and the indirect hemagglutination kit detected antibodies in 33.3% and 13.3%, respectively. When T. gondii-specific IgG was present in a serum sample, the results from the latex agglutination kit, the indirect hemagglutination kit, and the IgG-ELISA were similar; however, there was a wide variation in titer magnitude results between the three assays. It was concluded that the latex agglutination kit and the indirect hemagglutination kit did not adequately detect T. gondii-specific IgM in feline serum.     

Development of a mixed antigen agar gel enzyme assay (AGEA) for the detection of antibodies to poxvirus in chicken and turkey sera

A mixed-antigen agar gel enzyme assay (AGEA) was developed to detect antibodies to poxviruses in chicken and turkey sera. The assay combines the principles of immunodiffusion and enzyme assay. For the detection of antibodies to fowl poxvirus (FP), pigeon poxvirus (PP) and turkey poxvirus (TP) in turkey serum samples, the three antigens were combined to form a mixed-antigen assay. To screen for antibodies to FP and PP in chicken serum samples, the two antigens were combined. When FP and PP viruses were combined as antigens, the sensitivity for chicken sera was 64% but the sensitivity of the agar gel precipitation test (AGPT) was 34% (P<0.001). When antibodies were detected in turkey sera using the mixed antigens, the AGEA had a sensitivity of 66.4% while that of AGPT was 25% (P<0.001).     

Inability of kaolin treatment to remove nonspecific inhibitors from equine serum for the hemagglutination inhibition test against equine H7N7 influenza virus.

The hemagglutination inhibition test is used by many diagnostic and surveillance laboratories for detection of antibodies to influenza viruses. It is well known that the hemagglutination inhibition test is affected by nonspecific inhibitors present in equine serum. Several serum treatments are in use to remove these inhibitors, including treatment with kaolin. Discrepant results were observed in the authors' laboratories when using kaolin treatment before testing equine sera for antibodies against equine influenza virus (EIV) subtype-1 (H7N7). It is demonstrated here that kaolin treatment leads to false positive results when testing for antibodies against EIV subtype-1, as compared to other standard serum treatments (trypsin-periodate, receptor-destroying enzyme). Against EIV subtype-2 (H3N8), however, false positive results were not evident. Trypsinperiodate and receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE) treatments appear to be superior to kaolin for removal of nonspecific inhibitors from equine serum and should be used for serological diagnosis and surveillance of equine influenza virus.     

Evaluation of the specificity and sensitivity of two commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, the serum plate agglutination test, and the hemagglutination-inhibition test for antibodies formed in response to Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Two commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, seven serum plate agglutination (SPA) antigens, and the hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test for antibodies to Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) were compared for sensitivity and specificity using known MG-positive and MG-negative sera from leghorn chickens. All SPA antigens proved to be highly sensitive when testing MG-positive sera. Laboratory-prepared SPA antigens yielded fewer positive reactions when testing MG-negative sera than commercial SPA antigens. Both MG ELISA kits showed high rates of positive reactions when testing sera from birds given commercial M. synoviae bacterin, fowl coryza (Haemophilus paragallinarum) bacterin, inactivated infectious bursal disease virus vaccine, and to a lesser extent fowl cholera (Pasteurella multocida) bacterin. Immunization with Frey's medium with 12% swine serum-in-oil or Staphylococcus aureus-in-oil resulted in sera which yielded numerous positive ELISA reactions. During the first 1 to 3 weeks, antibodies induced by experimental infection with MG were better detected by the SPA test than by the ELISAs and the HI test, thus confirming the SPA test's importance in Mycoplasma diagnostic serology. The HI test can serve to confirm positive SPA results.     

Use of the brucellosis card test for screening cattle in Saskatchewan.

One group of 28,714 bovine sera were tested by both the brucellosis tube serum agglutination test and the brucellosis card test. The tube serum agglutination test confirmed 99.8% of the negative brucellosis card test results. The brucellosis card test identified 63% of the tube serum agglutination test reactors. In a second group of 496 sera reacting to either the tube serum agglutination test, complement fixation test, plate serum agglutination test or acid antigen serum agglutination test the brucellosis card test identified 99.1% of the complement fixation test positive sera and 91.3% of the sera reacting to any of the other serological tests. The brucellosis card test showed satisfactory agreement with both the complement fixation test and tube serum agglutination test. It appears to be a useful screening test in operations involving large numbers of animals since under these conditions the reactors can be quickly identified and isolated.     

Evaluation of a commercially available ELISA kit for detection of antibodies to Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma centrale in cattle in Australia and Zimbabwe

A newly available competitive inhibition ELISA kit for the serological diagnosis of anaplasmosis was evaluated in Australia and Zimbabwe. In Australia the performance of the test was compared with the card agglutination test (CAT).The assay was evaluated using negative sera collected from Anaplasma-free herds, positive sera from experimentally infected cattle and sera from Anaplasma marginale-endemic herds. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA in Australia were 100 % and 83,3 %, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of the CAT were both 100%. The agreement between the ELISA and CAT in the sera from endemic herds was 86,4 % (kappa = 0,718). The specificity of the ELISA in Zimbabwe was 100%. No meaningful estimate of sensitivity was possible in Zimbabwe because few known positive sera were available for testing, but all eight known positive sera that were available were clearly positive. We conclude that the ELISA is a useful alternative to the CAT for epidemiological studies.The ELISA kits have advantages over the CAT in that the ELISA is more robust and reagents are better standardized, but the kits are expensive.     

A rapid agglutination assay for canine brucellosis using antigen coated beads

Brucella canis is the causative agent of canine brucellosis and facultative intracellular pathogen. The diagnosis of canine brucellosis is based on bacteriological examination and serological methods including agglutination and gel diffusion tests. In this study, crude antigens were extracted from B. canis using hot saline, coated on to latex beads and their usefulness in the serological diagnosis of canine brucellosis was examined. Mixing the antigen coated latex beads with the sera of dogs infected with B. canis produced clear agglutination, but this was not so for B. canis free dog sera. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the crude hot saline extracts, showed that they contained copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, ribose ABC transporter and hypothetical protein of Brucella as antigens. A serological survey of canine serum samples conducted by means of an agglutination test using the antigen coated latex beads, showed that this method was more specific than the tube agglutination test using whole bacterial cell antigens. Although these results suggest that our method in which crude hot saline extracted antigens are coated on to latex beads would be useful in the serological diagnosis of canine brucellosis, we need further investigation using more serum samples to confirm the usefulness of our method.     

Detection of antibodies to egg drop syndrome virus in chicken serum using a field-based immunofiltration (flow-through) test

A simple, user-friendly, and rapid method to detect the presence of antibodies to egg drop syndrome 76 (EDS) virus in chicken sera based on an immunofiltration (flow-through) test was developed. Purified EDS virus antigen was coated onto nitrocellulose membranes housed in a plastic module with layers of absorbent filter pads underneath. Following addition of serum to be tested and washing, monoclonal antibodies or polyclonal serum to chicken immunoglobulin G (IgG) was used as a bridge antibody to mediate binding between EDS virus-specific IgG and protein A gold conjugate. The appearance of a pink dot indicated the presence of antibodies to EDS virus in the sample tested. The results could be obtained within 5-10 min. The developed immunofiltration test could detect antibodies in the sera of experimentally vaccinated chickens from 2 wk postvaccination. With field sera samples, this test was positive in samples having hemagglutination inhibition titers of 8 and above. This test has the potential to be used as a field-based kit to assess seroconversion in EDS-vaccinated flocks.     

Development of a specific latex agglutination test based on a recombinant hemagglutinin protein to detect antibodies to H5 avian influenza viruses

A latex agglutination test (LAT) was developed for rapid detection of antibodies to H5 avian influenza viruses (AIVs). The hemagglutinin protein of H5 AIV was covalently linked to carboxylated latex by ethyl-dimethyl-amino-propyl carbodiimide to prepare the sensitized latex beads. The LAT was evaluated with the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay as the reference test. The H5-LAT showed a sensitivity of 87.0% and specificity of 88.9% in detecting 126 serum samples from experimentally infected chickens and a sensitivity of 82.5% and specificity of 86% in detecting 587 field chicken serum samples from mostly vaccinated chickens. The agreement ratio between H5-LAT and HI was found to be 87.3% and 83.1% for the two groups of samples, respectively. Difficulty with background agglutination in stored chicken sera was overcome by serum pretreatment with either dried chicken liver powder or dilution buffer containing detergent Tween-20. The H5-LAT has advantages over a previously reported whole-virus LAT in terms of biosafety in preparation, chemical stability, and higher specificity. It is a rapid and simple test suitable for field monitoring of antibodies to H5-type AIV.     

猪细小病毒血凝抑制试验抗原、阳性血清与阴性血清的制备与鉴定

猪细小病毒（Porcine Parvovirus,PPV）血凝抑制试验抗原、阳性血清和阴性血清在猪细小病毒制品的效力检验中不可或缺,对猪细小病毒相关生物制品的质量控制至关重要。试验采用PPV 7909株病毒同步接种PK-15细胞制备血凝抑制试验抗原,用制备的抗原乳化后免疫豚鼠制备阳性血清,同时用未免疫的阴性豚鼠制备阴性血清。对抗原、阳性血清和阴性血清进行鉴定,结果表明,制备的PPV血凝抑制试验抗原HA效价达1:512;阳性血清HI效价达1:1024;阴性血清HI效价＜1:8,且特异性均良好。利用制备的血凝抑制试验抗原、阳性血清与不同PPV疫苗株的灭活抗原、阳性血清进行交叉反应试验,结果表明,制备的抗原与阳性血清具备良好的血清学交叉反应性,可用于PPV制品的统一评价。     

Complement-fixation and Hemagglutination Antigens from a Chlamydial (Ornithosis) Agent Grown in Cell Cultures

Methods are described for the preparation of complement-fixation (CF) and hemagglutination (HA) antigens from the Texas turkey ornithosis agent grown in McCoy cell culture monolayers. The particulate antigens prepared for this study were satisfactory for testing mammalian sera by direct CF tests and avian sera by indirect CF or modified direct CF tests. Comparison of titers were made on human, bovine and ovine sera using direct CF tests employing antigen prepared for this study, 6 BC yolk sac antigen, and a commercially available antigen.

The HA antigen agglutinated mouse erythrocytes, but it was not of value in hemagglutination inhibition tests because of “nonspecific” inhibitors in both mammalian and avian sera.

     

Detection of antibody to turkey coronavirus by antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay utilizing infectious bronchitis virus antigen

An antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of antibody to turkey coronavirus (TCV) utilizing infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) antigen was developed. Anti-TCV hyperimmune turkey serum and normal turkey serum were used as positive or negative control serum for optimization of the ELISA system. Goat anti-turkey immunoglobulin G (light plus heavy chains) conjugated with horseradish peroxidase was used as detector antibody. The performance of the ELISA system was evaluated with 45 normal turkey sera and 325 turkey sera from the field and the cutoff point was determined. Serum samples of turkeys experimentally infected with TCV collected sequentially from 1 to 63 days postinfection were applied to the established antibody-capture ELISA using IBV antigens. The optimum conditions for differentiation between anti-TCV hyperimmune serum and normal turkey serum were serum dilution at 1:40 and conjugate dilution at 1:1600. Of the 325 sera from the field, 175 were positive for TCV by immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) assay. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA relative to IFA test were 93.1% and 96.7%, respectively, based on the results of serum samples from the field turkey flocks using the optimum cutoff point of 0.18 as determined by the logistic regression method. The ELISA values of all 45 normal turkey sera were completely separated from that of IFA-positive sera. The ELISA results of serum samples collected from turkeys experimentally infected with TCV were comparable to that of the IFA assay. Reactivity of anti-rotavirus, anti-reovirus, anti-adenovirus, or anti-enterovirus antibodies with the IBV antigens coated in the commercially available ELISA plates coated with IBV antigens could be utilized for detection of antibodies to TCV in antibody-capture ELISA.     

The indirect fluorescent antibody technique as a method for detecting antibodies in aborted fetuses.

In this investigation the indirect fluorescent antibody technique was used to titrate antibodies in bovine sera to parainfluenza 3, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus and bovine viral diarrhea virus. These results were compared to those determined on the same samples by hemagglutination inhibition for parainfluenza 3 virus and serum neutralization for bovine virus diarrhea and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus. The results of the serological methods agreed closely. The indirect fluorescent antibody technique is a rapid and sensitive method for detecting antibodies and the procedure lends itself to use in diagnostic laboratories. In addition to the above viruses the presence or absence of antibodies to bovine coronavirus and bovine adenovirus 3 were determined by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique in thoracic fluids from 100 aborted fetuses and 50 nonaborted fetuses. Results on these samples were not compared to hemagglutination inhibition or serum neutralization as the condition of fluid samples from aborted fetuses renders interpretation of such tests unreliable. Antibodies to one or more viruses were detected in 30 of the 100 aborted fetuses and in seven of the 50 nonaborted fetuses. Antibodies to more than one agent were detected in eleven of the 100 aborted and in one of the 50 nonaborted fetuses. Reasons for this occurrence and application of the test in determination of causes of abortion are discussed.     

The effect of oil-emulsion vaccines on the occurrence of nonspecific plate agglutination reactions for Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M. synoviae

Six groups of ten 18-week-old mycoplasma-free white leghorn pullets were vaccinated with one of the following: Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) bacterin. Haemophilus gallinarum bacterin, Pasteurella multocida bacterin, combined infectious bursal disease (IBD)-Newcastle (NDV) chicken-embryo-origin (CEO) vaccine. IBD-NDV tissue-culture-origin (TC) vaccine, or saline emulsified in oil; one group received no vaccine. Plate agglutination tests for M. synoviae (MS) and MG were done for 10 weeks after vaccination using three different test antigens. Pullets vaccinated with H. gallinarum bacterin and IBD-NDV TC vaccine showed the greatest incidence of nonspecific plate agglutination reactions. The incidence of positive plate agglutination reactions varied with test antigens. Five groups of fifty 18-week-old mycoplasma-free heavy-breed pullets were vaccinated with one of the following: saline emulsified in oil, chicken embryo fibroblasts emulsified in oil, allantoic fluid emulsified in oil, chicken embryos emulsified in oil, or MS-contaminated chicken embryos emulsified in oil. Plate agglutination tests for MS and MG were done for 8 weeks after vaccination. Chickens vaccinated with chicken embryo fibroblasts emulsified in oil had the greatest incidence of nonspecific plate agglutination reactions. Pullets vaccinated with MS-contaminated chicken embryo vaccine had only a small increase in MS-positive plate agglutination reactions compared with pullets vaccinated with uncontaminated chicken embryo vaccine.     

Simplified preparation of a specific S. enteritidis antigen for ELISA and other immunological techniques

This study was conducted to prepare a specific S. enteritidis antigen (FG-Antigen) for the serological detection of S. enteritidis infections in chicken flocks. This antigen (FG-Antigen) consistent mainly of the flagellar fraction H:g and partly of the fimbrial fraction SEF14 from a S. enteritidis-phage type 4 strain. The initial steps followed in the preparation of this antigen were conducted based on a previously described procedure, which involved the application of heat at 60 degrees C. The purification process (filtration and concentration) enabled the exclusion of the cross-reaction causing LPS antigens from the preparation and allowed the retention of S. enteritidis-specific antigens composed of fimbria and H:g fractions. As a result, no cross-reaction with S. typhimurium nor with S. gallinarum was exhibited by the prepared FG-antigen. To characterize and determine its specificity, the following laboratory tests were conducted: indirect ELISA, immunoblotting and a SEF14 agglutination test. In these examinations, rabbit and chicken reference sera as well as chicken field sera and absorbed hyperimmune sera against H:g-carrying serovars were used.     

贵州省猪弓形虫病的血清学调查

为全面了解贵州省猪弓形虫感染情况,对采自9个市（州、地）264个养猪场（户）的2 906份血清用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测猪弓形虫抗体,总体阳性率为65.83%,变化范围为27.88%~85.42%。采集65份猪血清做ELISA和间接血凝试验（indirect heamagglutination assay,IHA）比较测定,两种方法总体符合率为58.46%。IHA方法补充检测177份猪血清,弓形虫抗体阳性率为27.68%。血清学调查结果与国内部分省（市）报道相符。     

Commercial immunoassay kits for the detection of influenza virus type A: evaluation of their use with poultry

Five antigen capture immunoassay test kits, Directigen Flu A (Becton Dickinson), QuickVue Influenza test kit (Quidel), FLU OIA (ThermoBiostar), Zstat Flu (ZymeTx, Inc.) and NOW FLU A Test (Binax) were used to detect avian influenza virus (AIV) in clinical specimens as per manufacturers' protocols. Each kit was shown to be specific for AIV propagated in embryonating chicken eggs (ECE); other respiratory viruses of poultry tested gave negative results. The Directigen Flu A kit proved to be 10-fold more sensitive than the other kits, capable of detecting 10(4.7) mean embryo lethal dose (ELD50)/ml in allantoic fluid; this is more sensitive than the hemagglutination test using chicken erythrocytes. None of the kits proved to be sufficiently sensitive to reliably detect AIV in oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs collected from chickens experimentally infected with AIV subtype H6N2. In two different experiments, individual swabs and pools of five or six swabs were tested. By virus isolation, 39 individual oropharyngeal swabs tested positive for AIV, but Directigen and Flu OIA only detected 2/39 and NOW FLU A 1/39. Zstat and QuickVue did not detect any. Five individual cloacal swabs positive by virus isolation were negative with all five kits. In a second experiment using pools of five swabs, 26 swab pools were positive by virus isolation and 5/26 were positive by Directigen, the only kit to provide any positive results. Five cloacal swab pools were also positive by virus isolation and 1/5 was positive by Directigen; all other test kits were negative. All of these experiments were performed using the H6N2 subtype of AIV. The results are disappointing, as the kits have proven to be insensitive for detecting AIV when compared with the gold standard, virus isolation. This limits their use in diagnostic field investigations. Individual or groups of chickens could be assumed to be positive for AIV if positive by any of the kits, but a negative result with any of the kits would not prove that birds were AIV free.     

A comparison of three serological tests in the diagnosis of caprine brucellosis.

The serum agglutination test (SAT), the Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and the milk ring test (MRT) were used in the diagnosis of caprine brucellosis. There was a close correlation between the SAT and RBPT when both tests were negative but the RBPT failed to detect 79.82 per cent of sera in excess of 50 iu. Also, owing to the relatively poor milking potential of the Nigerian goat and the false positive results with the MRT, it is concluded that the SAT offers a better serological diagnostic tool for caprine brucellosis in this locality.