Some serological reactions to "brucella" antigen in the horse.

Abstract

Seventy-three samples of serum, from 69 horses and one zebra, were subjected to the Rose Bengal Plate, serum tube agglutination, complement fixation, and anti-equine globulin (Coombs') tests for brucellosis. Fifty-one of the samples, from 48 horses, were submitted by practising veterinary surgeons; of these, 22 samples were associated with clinical conditions which might have been due to brucellosis. Fourteen samples were from healthy horses known to have been in contact with infected cattle, and six were from horses which were known not to have been exposed to brucellosis. More reactions at accepted diagnostic levels were obtained to the anti-globulin and complement fixation tests than to the agglutination test. Two horses showed no reactions, other than inconclusive titres to the antiglobulin test, and these titres could have resulted from exposure to Brucella. Eight of nine positive Rose Bengal tests were confirmed by a reaction at diagnostic level in at least one of the other tests, but two sera showing a reaction at diagnostic level to the other tests gave a negative Rose Bengal result.