The complement fixation test for the diagnosis of Brucella ovis infection in rams. Animal Health Division Report

Authors: Anonymous
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 31, Issue 9, pp 157-160, Sep 1983
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant, Sheep
Subject Terms: Bacterial, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Clinical pathology, Diagnostic procedures, Notifiable organisms/exotic disease, Reproduction, Reproduction - male, Zoonosis, Public health
Article class: General Article

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Abstract: Complement fixation tests using three B. ovis antigen preparations in warm fixation tests (WCFT) and cold fixation (CCFT) tests were done on 541 ram sera. Semen samples from the same rams were examined culturally to identify B. ovis excretors. The CCFT, using an antigen prepared by heat extraction of B. ovis cells, had a sensitivity of 97% in 124 rams which were shedding B.ovis. The specificity was 99% in 144 rams from non-infected flocks. Seventy-seven per cent of 156 rams which reacted to this test were shedding B. ovis in their semen. Tests with other antigens were inferior in sensitivity and/or specificity. The WCFT gave lower titres than CCFT. Vaccination caused large numbers of false positive reactions in 4 flocks.

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