An improved immunoblotting technique for the serodiagnosis of Brucella ovis infections

Authors: Diack DS, Reichel MP, Ross GP, Kittelberger R
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 45, Issue 2, pp 75-77, Apr 1997
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, Zoonosis, Public health
Article class: Short Communication

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Abstract: Two antigen preparations, the routinely used Brucella ovis sodium dodecylsulfate-mercapto ethanol extract and a B. ovis Triton X-114-derived detergent-rich phase, were compared under standard conditions for their use in electrophoretic immunoblotting for confirmafory, serological testing for B. ovis infections, by using 88 sera from ram flocks with a history of freedom from B. ovis infections, 80 sera from chronically infected rams, which were shedding B. ovis in their semen at the time of sampling, and 104 sera from a naturally infected ram flock. Blots with the detergent-rich phase as antigen gave better correlation with the serological results from naturally infected rams, exhibited no non-specific staining with sera from the negative group, gave clearer visualisation of specific bands for positive sera, and were equally sensitive when compared to the standard antigen for sera from chronically infected rams.

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