Adaption of ELISA for the detection of Campylobacter antibodies and its application in seroepidemiological studies in sheep and cattle herds
Gröhn, K.; Genigeorgis, C.
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 26(1): 30-48
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-605X PMID: 3898777 Document Number: 263187
ELISA was adapated for the study of antigenic relations among important campylobacters and for the presence of anti-campylobacter antibodies in 394 sheep and 265 cattle. Rabbit anti-C. jejuni, C, coli, C. fetus ssp. fetus and C. laridis heat-stable antigen sera were evaluated against 29 Campylobacter strains and 6 other bacteria. Anti-C. jejuni and C. coli reacted strongly with homologous antigens and weakly with C. fetus ssp. fetus, C. laridis and C. fecalis antigens. C. fetus ssp. fetus serum reacted mainly with its homologous antigen. C. laridis serum showed closer reactivity to C. jejuni than to C. fetus ssp. fetus, C. coli and C. fecalis. Insignificant cross-reactions were observed with Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella dublin and Enterobacter aerogenes heat-stable antigens. Ewes vaccinated with C. fetus ssp. fetus bacterin showed higher ELISA titers against C. fetus ssp. fetus antigens than non-vaccinated ewes or rams. Twenty-five percent of the vaccinated animals showed titers as low as 95% of the non-vaccinated animals. In cattle the lowest antibody titers against C. fetus ssp. fetus, C. jejuni, C. coli and C. laridis antigens were exhibited by the precolostrum sera followed by the postcolostrum and adult sera. These studies demonstrated the applicability of the ELISA test in seroepidemiological investigations concerning the distribution and significance of Campylobacter antibodies in food animal sera.