Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Serological analysis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant antigen LipL32 for the diagnosis of swine leptospirosis.
- Journal:
- Current microbiology
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Hartleben, Cláudia P et al.
- Affiliation:
- Laborató · Brazil
Plain-English summary
Leptospirosis is a disease that can affect pigs and has significant economic consequences because pigs are important sources of food. In pigs, signs of leptospirosis can include abortion, stillbirth, and the birth of weak or sick piglets, which can show up 14 to 60 days after they become infected. The traditional way to diagnose this disease is through a test called the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), but this method can be slow and complicated when many samples need to be tested. This study looked at a new test called rLipL32/ELISA, which is faster and easier to use, and found that it accurately detected antibodies for leptospirosis in pigs with a high level of sensitivity and specificity. The rLipL32/ELISA test is a promising option for quickly screening for this infection in pigs.
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an important global zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. species. Swine leptospirosis has a major economic impact because pigs are sources of animal protein and by-products. The signs of swine leptospirosis are abortion, stillbirth, birth of weak or ill piglets, appearing 14-60 days after infection. The reference method for diagnosis of leptospirosis is the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), in which serum samples are reacted with live antigen suspensions of leptospiral serovars. However, MAT is laborious and time consuming as a diagnostic procedure when dealing with a large number of samples; therefore, efforts are being made to develop novel, sensitive, and specific diagnostic tests for leptospirosis. In this study, a recombinant LipL32 based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (rLipL32/ELISA) was evaluated as a screening test for the detection of pathogenic leptospiral-specific antibodies. A total of 86 swine serum samples tested by MAT were used to develop rLipL32/ELISA. Compared to positive and negative sera tested by MAT, rLipL32/ELISA showed 100 % sensitivity, 85.1 % specificity, and 91.86 % accuracy. No positive reaction for other bacterial diseases (enzootic pneumonia and brucellosis) was observed. The rLipL32/ELISA reported in this study is a specific, sensitive, and convenient test for the detection of antibodies against swine leptospiral infection and can be used as a rapid screening test in epidemiological surveys.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23064970/