Comparison of the microtitration agglutination test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of herds affected with swine dysentery
Egan, I.T.; Harris, D.L.; Joens, L.A.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 44(7): 1323-1328
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 6349439 Document Number: 220518
A method was designed to evaluate and compare the microtitration agglutination test (MAT) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies in swine sera to Treponema hyodysenteriae and thereby establish a method for determining the prevalence of swine dysentery (SD) in herds. According to sampling criteria based on the hypergeometric distribution, serum samples were collected from 3 age groups of swine from farms having a history of SD on the premises (SD+) recently or being free of the disease (SD-). The highest degree of test sensitivity was obtained when sera from market age swine were evaluated with the ELISA. Of 14 SD+ herds from which sera were obtained from market-age swine, 13 were positive with the ELISA (93%); none of the 8 SD- herds was positive. The detection rates of individual swine in the SD+ herds for the 2 tests by age group were as follows: MAT-adult swine 1.4%, market-age swine 6%, and weaned pigs 0.8%; ELISA-adult swine 16%, market swine 31%, and weaned pigs 0.5%.