The use of the microagglutination technique to determine the antibody status of healthy New Zealanders to Brucella abortus

Abstract

SUMMARYSera from healthy blood donors from different parts of New Zealand, collected between 1977 and 1980, were analysed by the microagglutination technique for antibodies against Brucella abortus. Populations from both urban and rural areas were studied. The technique was shown to be capable of handling the 3351 sera studied and thus to be a useful screening test to assess the immune status of large populations. The results demonstrated some of the effects on the human population of the successful bovine brucellosis eradication programme.

Selected epidemiological features of human brucellosis in Yazd, Islamic Republic of Iran: 1993-1998

“…Brucellosis is diagnosed by culture method, serological tests and clinical findings. In the presence of appropriate signs and symptoms, a presumptive diagnosis of brucellosis is usually defined serologically as a TAT of 1:160 or greater [8,13]. Of the 745 TAT positive cases, 42 cases were 2-MET positive.…”

“…In the first phase, all specimens were analysed by the TAT. A titre of 1:160 or greater was taken as an index of seropositivity [8,10]. In the second phase, Brucella spp.…”

“…In the chronic stage of the disease, Brucella spp. antibodies persist for many years after infection; in most cases only 2-MET sensitive agglutinins persist [8][9][10][11].…”