Evaluation of four serological tests for the diagnosis of caprine melioidosis

Abstract

A complement fixation (CF) test, two 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. 118 experimental serum samples and 3143 field serum samples from goats in endemic and non-endemic areas of north Queensland were used. 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. It is recommended that the IHA-A be used 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. The four tests were compared using 577 serum samples from goats in areas where melioidosis is endemic; 42 were positive, 34 by IHA-A, 33 by MA and 30 by CFT.
Further tests are described using serum samples from 2480 goats grazing in endemic and non-endemic areas.